


Scopaesthesia

by Megara09, wibblywobblydemonydeducythings



Category: Supernatural
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Chief of Police!Cas, DA!Sam, Detective!Benny, Detectives, M/M, Past Gabriel/Kali (Supernatural), Past Lucifer/Sam Winchester, Protective Gabriel, SGBB2018, Sabriel Big Bang, Sabriel Big Bang 2018, Sabrielbigbang, Smut, Some lowkey violence, Stalker x Threatening presence, Stalking CW, Thriller, claustrophobia CW, lawyer!Sam, mention of ace!Cas, sad!sam, side ship DeanxBenny
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-30
Updated: 2018-08-30
Packaged: 2019-07-04 16:30:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 29,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15845088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Megara09/pseuds/Megara09, https://archiveofourown.org/users/wibblywobblydemonydeducythings/pseuds/wibblywobblydemonydeducythings
Summary: -- The psychic staring effect  (sometimes called scopaesthesia) is a supposed phenomenon in which humans detect being stared at by extrasensory means.Sam Winchester has a stalker. It’s okay, he’s been dealing with it. For years, he’s been dealing with creepy notes, having his trash dug through, the feeling of being watched wherever he goes, even had his apartment broken into. But it’s fine. The stalker has never hurt him…Until now.When Sam is attacked one night in his home, the police take special interest in his case. The youngest DA in California history? Oh yeah, they’re all over it.Enter Gabriel Novak, a detective who specializes in stalking cases. Along with his partner Benny, they take on the case of Sam’s stalker, hoping to protect the poor guy from further harm. He never expected to fall for Sam along the way.A second attack leaves them reeling, and Sam and Gabriel are whisked away to a safehouse for both of their protection while Benny and Dean finish the case. But in the silence and solitude, who will protect them from each other and their own burgeoning feelings?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is our contribution for the 2018 SGBB. It's been a long and bumpy road. We would like to thank our amazing artist [Tessa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Honigrahm/pseuds/Honigrahm) for the beautiful art she created for our fic, it is truly breath-taking. Check the full size version of the art [here.](https://tessakallarts.tumblr.com/post/177563430531/finally-i-can-post-this-sweet-little-thing-ive)

 

 

 

 

> **PROLOGUE**
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> _“How did it get this bad?”_ Sam Winchester asked himself as he clutched his bleeding head, the other gripping his cell phone like a lifeline.
> 
> _“911, what’s your emergency?”_ came the voice on the other end of the line.
> 
> “M-my name is Sam Winchester. I’ve just...I’ve just been attacked in my apartment.” The words were breathless, disjointed.
> 
> _“And what is your address, sir?”_
> 
> It took Sam a moment to clear his head and understand what the operator was asking. “Um. 560 East Highland, Apartment 3A.”
> 
> _“Okay, sir. I need you to remain calm. I have a squad car en route. Do you need medical assistance?”_
> 
> Sam blinked a few times, his vision blurring. “I think...I think I’m about to pass out.”
> 
> _“Sir? Sir?!”_
> 
> The last thing Sam heard was the hollow _thud_ of his own head hitting the floor.
> 
>   **CHAPTER ONE**
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Gabriel Novak hissed as he burned his tongue on a sip of too-hot coffee. His partner, Benny Lafitte, grinned at the action.
> 
> “Shut the fuck up, Lafitte,” Gabriel said without ire.
> 
> “It’s just, you do this every morning. You’d think you would learn to wait a damn minute and let your coffee cool off.”
> 
> Gabriel sighed and plonked the cup onto his desk, directly in front of Benny’s. “And we have this conversation every morning, too.”
> 
> “Well we do have a great routine.”
> 
> Before Gabriel could reply, a voice called out across the work area. “Novak, Lafitte, in my office!”
> 
> As they entered the chief’s office, Gabriel noticed the somber expression on his face. “Cas? What’s wrong?”
> 
> Castiel Novak, younger brother to the detective, sat heavily in his chair and rubbed a hand across his brow. “Sam Winchester was attacked in his home last night.”
> 
> Gabriel stared blankly at him. When no other words were forthcoming, he prompted, “Should I know who that is?”
> 
> Benny turned and gaped at him. “ _Cher_ , how do you not know who the district attorney is?”
> 
> Gabriel flushed and waved his hands in front of him. “I don’t keep up with it! I don’t usually have much to do with them.”
> 
> Castiel rolled his eyes and grabbed a file from the mess on his desk before handing it to Benny with a beleaguered stare toward his brother. “In any case, Sam was attacked last night. He sustained a head injury and a few minor scrapes, probably from fighting against the assailant.”
> 
> Flipping through the thin file, Benny frowned. “What does this have to do with us?”
> 
> “Yeah, bro. We’re more unsolved cases and stalkers than a robbery gone wrong.”
> 
> “That’s just it. Mister Winchester _is_ a stalking victim, and his case is as yet unsolved. The officers who responded to the scene said that there are multiple vulgar messages left in the home, as well as ones that are undoubtedly more concerning.”
> 
> At this, Benny leaned over to show Gabriel a crime scene photo that made him shiver as his blood run cold. Scrawled on the wall in bright red paint were words that immediately became imprinted on his brain.
> 
> YOU CAN’T ESCAPE ME
> 
> Castiel nodded. “You can see why we’re concerned.”
> 
> “Yeah, for reals. That’s some seriously creepy shit there,” Gabriel agreed as he sat back in his chair. “So what are we doing? Protection detail or active investigation?”
> 
> “Investigation. I’ve got a few beat cops in need of extra hours who’ve volunteered to keep an eye on him at night. He’s usually at the courthouse during the day, so we feel he’s fairly safe there.”
> 
> Benny nodded, handing the folder to Gabriel, and leaned forward to brace his elbows on his knees. “Chief, I gotta say, I’m not feeling too confident that this will be a one-time thing.”
> 
> “It’s not. Sam told the officers last night that this has been escalating over the past several years. This is not the first time his home has been broken into, though he says he’s moved every time it’s happened. This is, however, the first time he’s been attacked.”
> 
> “So a known stalker, but no leads on who? How is that even possible?”
> 
> “A failing of the system,” Castiel said with a sigh. “Stalkers aren’t given a lot of thought until they grow violent, especially if the victim is a male. Only when things get violent can actual charges be brought up, so most precincts let it ride until it’s too late.”
> 
> Snorting, Gabriel said a quick thanks to himself that their own precinct was different. Castiel had instigated a taskforce specifically for stalkers when he’d taken office two years prior. It had saved many victims before their stalkers grew violent, but it was a slow and harrowing process to get the funding they needed.
> 
> For now, it was mainly just Benny and Gabriel on the taskforce, though they had some rotating members when there was time and money to pay them.
> 
> As he studied the photo of Sam in the front of the file, Gabriel felt a well of protectiveness surge through him. This man was being _hunted_ , for all intents and purposes. It was something that Gabriel couldn’t stand. His fingers tightened on the folder as he promised himself to do everything he could to protect this man and get his stalker off the streets.
> 
> "Alright, so Benny and I will go talk to the victim, and you see if you can scrounge up some officers for us?” Gabriel said in the direction of his brother. He slapped a hand on his knee and got to his feet without waiting for a response. He patted Benny on the back as he left the office, signaling for him to follow. They stopped short and turned around when Castiel cleared his throat.
> 
> “I don’t need to remind you that Sam Winchester _is_ the district attorney, which means-” Castiel paused and looked at Gabriel specifically before he continued, “-keep this by the books. I want none of your antics.” His tone was stern, and he squinted at his older brother - his version of an intimidating stare.
> 
> With a look of fake offense on his face, Gabriel alternated looks between Castiel and Benny, gaping his mouth when neither of them humoured him. “I am _shocked_ that you would think I’d be anything but professional!” he said in a put-upon aggrieved tone.
> 
> No reaction came from either men as Gabriel gawked at them, trying to provoke a laugh or even a smirk. Instead, Benny grabbed his partner by the elbow and pulled him out of the chief’s office. As they passed the threshold and closed the door behind them, the large Southern man bellowed with laughter, startling an intern a few feet away. Gabriel chanced a look behind them, seeing Castiel shaking his head with a fond smile.
> 
> “You just won’t do, _cher_ ,” Benny said through the laughter.
> 
> Gabriel smirked with no small amount of pride. “I know,” he crowed, then grew somewhat serious. “Besides, I gotta give the kid a hard time. Overeager puppy, making captain before I even made detective! No respect for his elders, I tell you.”
> 
> Benny choked on more laughter, shaking his head as he plopped into his chair. He shuffled through the thin file he’d taken from Chief Novak, getting himself familiar with the case. He shook his head in disbelief and looked up at Gabriel, who was leaning over his desk.
> 
> “It says that Winchester’s been going through this for years! Look at this,” he said as he tilted the file in Gabriel’s direction. “His garbage getting snooped in, items of clothing missing from his gym bag, creepy phone calls and letters. That’s just disgusting.”
> 
> Gabriel visibly cringed at the thought of having to go through something like that for years. “This dude is either a badass or traumatized as hell to put up with this for so long.” He quirked an eyebrow when he saw another picture of the crime scene. This whole thing was sick, and that led Gabriel to believe that whoever was behind it had to be truly twisted.
> 
> After talking through how they were to handle this investigation, the two detectives gathered their things and headed for Sam Winchester’s home. Gabriel was going to question the victim, since it was his forté, while Benny would look around the crime scene to make sure the CSI unit hadn’t missed anything. It wasn’t a matter of ill faith in the unit so much as it was meticulousness for both detectives. They liked to do things themselves.
> 
> A fifteen minute drive and one elevator ride later, the two detectives were knocking on Sam Winchester’s door.
> 
> “I can’t believe they didn’t put a uniform at the door,” Benny said quietly to his partner, not wanting Sam to overhear.
> 
> Before Gabriel had a chance to respond to his partner, the door opened and a tall man stood in front of him. Gabriel stared in disbelief. At first it was disbelief that anyone could ever get the jump on _this_ guy.
> 
> He was tall, with broad shoulders and built like a wall. After that thought had passed, it was a disbelief of how beautiful a man this Sam Winchester was, and Gabriel rarely used the word beautiful to describe men.
> 
> But Sam Winchester was _beautiful_. In addition to being tall and broad, he had long brown hair that nearly brushed his shoulders, hypnotizing hazel eyes, and bulging biceps that were clearly visible even through the long-sleeved plaid he wore over his T-shirt. The bandage on his forehead did nothing to detract from his good looks.
> 
> A jab in his side pulled Gabriel from his daze. “W-What? Oh! Yeah, detectives Novak and Lafitte--” Before he could continue the introduction, he was cut off.
> 
> “He already knows, _cher_ ,” Benny said with a smirk, having already introduced them.
> 
> Sam let out a small laugh and rubbed the back of his neck. “I’ve been expecting you. Chief Novak called.” He moved away from the door and gestured them in. “Any relation?”
> 
> “Nah, Benny and Cas aren’t related,” Gabriel replied with a smug smile on his face.
> 
> Sam huffed out a laugh, this time louder, and Gabriel was mesmerized once again. Luckily, Benny was there to jab him one more time.
> 
> Sam walked in front of the detectives, leading the way to his living room. “Please, come on in.”
> 
> Benny and Gabriel followed. “This won’t do, friend,” Benny whispered to his partner.
> 
> “Did I drool much?” Gabriel asked sheepishly.
> 
> The larger man chuckled quietly and kept walking, pulling Gabriel along with him. “Nah, but you might want to wipe that dumb look off your face.” He studied Gabriel for a moment before shrugging and bemoaning, “Nope, that’s just the way it always looks.”
> 
> “Har, har, smartass,” Gabriel snarked, taking care to school his features into a more respectable expression. Sure, the guy was attractive as all get out, but he was still here on official business.
> 
> As the detectives sat on the sad-looking couch, Sam hurried to the kitchen to pour a few glasses of water. They heard him muttering to himself, but neither spoke on it.
> 
> Unbeknownst to them, Sam was having his own freakout.
> 
> He was absolutely _insane_. Had to be. Why else would he even be contemplating an attraction to the cop assigned to his stalking case?
> 
> How could life hate him so much?
> 
> He muttered to himself about karma and the unfairness of it all as he snagged three glasses and filled them with water from the filtered jug in the fridge. He steeled himself before heading back to the living room, but it didn’t help.
> 
> No, the man was still there, still looking absolutely adorable with his goofy grin and the laid-back air he exuded. His hair and eyes were similar in color, a golden brown that Sam could stare at for days.
> 
> And his partner? Dean would have a field day. Tall and buff, with a Southern accent to die for. Yep, Sam would be calling Dean later, and not just to beg his help to clean the place.
> 
> But thinking of the attack brought Sam’s attention back to why the two men were sitting in his trashed apartment.
> 
> “So, uh, what can I do to help? I told the officers last night everything I knew and could remember, which wasn’t really all that much.”
> 
> Benny nodded in sympathy but said softly, “Just start from the beginning. When did you first start to suspect you were being stalked?”
> 
> Sam let out a breath as he tried to remember. “God, it’s been so long ago. I had just graduated from Stanford Law, a few weeks from taking the BAR. I came home from the library one night to see that my trashcan was dumped over and the bags were ripped open. I thought some dumb kids had knocked it over and an animal had gotten into it. But it kept happening. At least once a week.”
> 
> He paused, running a shaking hand over his face, wincing when it caught on the bandage on his forehead. Gabriel and Benny stayed silent, knowing that the people they helped sometimes just needed a moment.
> 
> Finally, he continued. “I started to get this feeling that I was being watched, all the time. And sometimes I’d see something out of the corner of my eye. I always told myself not to be silly, that I was just imagining it. But then I came home one night to see my door busted open and my house trashed.”
> 
> Gabriel studiously jotted everything down in his notebook. When he heard about the break-in, he stopped and looked up at Sam. “You had a break-in and no one took this case?”
> 
> “No, they did. The investigation ran its course for over a month, but they couldn’t find anything. After that I refused to keep spending taxpayers’ money on my case. Especially since I thought it was just a break-in and not related to anything. I didn’t even realize it was all connected, that I was being stalked, until nearly six months later. I moved across town after the break-in, and everything was quiet. Then, five or six months into the new place, it was broken into as well.”
> 
> “Was there any surveillance at either residence?” Benny asked curiously.
> 
> Sam shrugged. “At the first place, I was a dirt-poor recent grad. The place barely had working locks. After I got a job at a law office downtown, I started looking for a better place. But the second apartment wasn’t much better than the first. Shitty landlords who cared more about getting their money than protecting their tenants.”
> 
> Benny nodded. “And what about here? This seems more upscale than either of those places.”
> 
> “I’m not really sure. But my super is downstairs. He would probably know.”
> 
> “I’ll go talk to him, see if I can find anything that might help us out. Do you mind if I look around before I head down? See if anything jumps out at me.”
> 
> Sam agreed quickly, telling the detective where most of the damage had been, but to feel free to look everywhere.
> 
> Gabriel nodded to Benny as the other man stood, then turned back to Sam, pencil poised for more notes. “So what happened leading up to the second break-in? Did you notice anything strange, looking back?”
> 
> “Not really? I was being worked to the bone and underpaid to boot, so I was almost always out of it going home. I rode the bus mainly, so I wasn’t walking alone at night. I thought it was over with until I found the new apartment ransacked like the first one.”
> 
> “Were there any changes you could tell from the first incident?” the detective asked, trying to jog Sam’s memory. He tried not to find it adorable when Sam scrunched his nose in remembrance.
> 
> “It was less of a mess, like the person knew what they were looking for and an approximate place to find it.”
> 
> “The report didn’t say anything was missing,” Gabriel said sharply, scribbling the new information down.
> 
> “I didn’t realize it at the time. It wasn’t until I was packing to move again that I realized a few pieces of clothing were missing, and an old textbook from one of my Criminal Law courses. Even then I assumed I’d just misplaced them.”
> 
> “So is this when you moved to San Francisco?”
> 
> “Yeah, I figured if whoever it was kept finding me in Palo Alto, I needed to get out of there. So I quit my job, packed everything, and left without telling a soul. I ducked out in the middle of the night after shoving my rent under the landlord’s door.” He snorted at himself. “It almost worked. Or at least, it worked for the last two years. I guess having my name and picture plastered on every billboard from here to Napa Valley ruined that.”
> 
> Gabriel snapped his fingers, drawing Sam’s attention. “I knew you looked familiar! Man, they really screwed you over with that, huh?”
> 
> Sam blushed as he nodded. “Yeah, seems like. Not long after those billboards went up, stuff started happening again. The feeling of being watched, the trash. I even had someone give me a note from a ‘secret admirer’ on the street once.”
> 
> “Well that’s fucking creepy.” Gabriel smacked himself in the forehead when he realized what he’d said. “Sorry, that was tactless.”
> 
> Sam laughed. “Don’t be sorry. It’s true. It was very creepy. I didn’t even read it, just threw it in the trash a few steps away.” His expression turned pensive. “Actually, that’s when things started getting more violent. I went to work like normal and came home to find that same note pinned to my door. I went inside, threw it away, and got a shower. I heard a noise and ran out to find my front window busted in.”
> 
> “Did you report that?” Gabriel questioned, still writing.
> 
> Sam sighed, carding his fingers through his hair in frustration. “No, I didn’t. I should have, but it felt like that would have let them win. And besides, by that point I was disillusioned by law enforcement as a whole, no offense. All they took was the letter, so it wouldn’t have mattered anyways. I just told the super that a tree limb must have slammed into the window to bust it.”
> 
> Gabriel scoffed quietly as he wrote everything down. He couldn’t believe that someone as smart as Sam would get caught in a pissing contest with a freakin’ stalker. He took a calming breath and tried to regain his professionalism. “How long ago was this?”
> 
> Sam pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to pinpoint an exact timeline with all the chaos that had surrounded his life for the past few years. “I’m not really sure, to be honest. I think that was three months ago?” The lilting answer ended in more of a question, aimed more at Sam himself than at Gabriel.
> 
> The detective nodded and wrote the new information down. “I’m sorry to make you go through this again, but I need you to tell me what happened last night.”
> 
> Sam rubbed the back of his neck, his discomfort showing on his face. He’d lived through this, then told the officers yesterday, and now he had to tell it again. It was too much. All he ever wanted was to put all of this behind him and start a new life. Apparently, his stalker did not agree. He finally took a deep breath and began.
> 
> “Well, it started with that letter. After that, it was creepy phone calls to my office, to my cell, and even my home phone. The creepy part was that they never said anything; the only thing I could hear was their breathing. I’ve felt like I was being watched, more and more often over the last few months. I once walked into my office to find a fruit basket. My assistant said the delivery guy told her it was from Dean, my brother. I opened it and everything in it was rotten. Now, my brother and I are known for pulling pranks on each other, but that was years ago, and I hadn’t spoken to my brother in a while. I called him and asked him just to make sure, and as I suspected, it wasn’t from him.”
> 
> Gabriel nodded, feeling that there was more and not wanting to speak and ruin the momentum.
> 
> “I’d been trying to convince Dean to move out here, almost since I did. Our dad is a drunk, and he can get pretty mean depending on what he’s drinking. Well, when I called Dean about the fruit basket, he demanded to know what was going on. After he knew the whole story, he was on the next flight out. He lives a few blocks over, works part time at the library while he gets his engineering degree.”
> 
> Sam shuddered and shook his head to refocus. “Right. Last night. I got home from work and ate supper while I looked over a few new cases. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. I put my files away and got a shower, then went to bed. I woke up a bit when I heard a noise, but I fell back asleep shortly. Then I woke up to something hitting me in the back of the head. I came up swinging, but they got in another good lick on my forehead,” Sam said, briefly touching the gauze there. “I fell back onto the bed and got a good kick in. I heard a grunt and then they were gone. I think I blacked out for a minute, then I called 911.”
> 
> Gabriel nodded, trying not to wince in sympathy. He finished writing Sam’s account and sat back, taking it all in. “That’s quite a story,” he finally said.
> 
> Blowing out a heavy breath, Sam raked his hand through his hair and nodded. “Yeah, I guess. But I can’t really say my life has ever been normal, so…”
> 
> Gabriel quirked a brow, trying to puzzle out how a kid from an apparently abusive childhood had become one of the youngest District Attorneys in the city’s history. “So, what, are you a genius or something to have finished law school so quick?”
> 
> Sam snorted. “No, I just took on double the course load and worked my ass off.”
> 
> Both brows now raised, Gabriel felt his mouth drop open. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Stanford Law and you doubled the fucking classes?”
> 
> “Where I could. Some I had to wait for because they were only offered at certain times and after other courses.” Sam blushed at the look on Gabriel’s face. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
> 
> Gabriel tried to wipe the dumbfounded look on his face. “I’m just amazed, to be honest. Crappy childhood, working your ass off, and dealing with a stalker, and none of that moved you. You’re a badass, Sam Winchester.”
> 
> The flush darkened on Sam’s face at the compliment. He had achieved so much in the past decade, and although making DA was enough of a reward, no one had ever recognized him in such a personal way. The recognition always came for the work he’d done, but no one ever saw what was going on beneath the professional facade. “Thank you.”
> 
> The tears forming in Sam’s eyes alerted Gabriel that he might have pulled one of his “antics” as Castiel called it. He became flustered. “Shit! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.”
> 
> “No, no, really you didn’t. It’s just--” Sam started to explain before a knock on the door interrupted him. He smiled at Gabriel and got up to open the door.
> 
> “Stupid, stupid, stupid!” Gabriel mumbled to himself.
> 
> Benny chuckled as he walked into the living room. “Tell us something we don’t know, _cher_.”
> 
> Sam was nowhere to be seen. Gabriel blew raspberries at his partner before he flipped him off. “Did you find anything with the super?”
> 
> “Don’t go changing the subject. Why are you just now realizing that you’re stupid?”
> 
> Gabriel got up and approached Benny, close enough to whisper in his ear, “Because I took you on for a partner.”
> 
> Another chuckle left Benny’s lips as he pushed Gabriel away. He snatched the notebook from his partner’s hand and started flipping through it. “That’s a lot of notes,” he stated. It was more accusatory than an observation.
> 
> Gabriel squinted at the other detective. “It’s a big case.” Gabriel looked more standoffish than usual, even a little protective. He snatched the notebook back from his partner and flipped it closed. “Where’s Sam?”
> 
> Benny smirked. “He’s in the bathroom. You think he needs protecting in there?”
> 
> “Screw you, Lafitte. This guy’s been through hell, okay? I’m just checking up on him!” Gabriel huffed.
> 
> Growing serious, Benny stared hard at Gabriel. “ _Cher_ , is there gonna be a conflict here?”
> 
> Eyes darting away, Gabriel fervently hoped there wouldn’t be a conflict. “Why would there be?” he deflected. “I just met the guy an hour ago.”
> 
> “Yeah, and you’ve got that look in your eye.”
> 
> “What look?” Gabriel snapped.
> 
> “Kali.”
> 
> Wincing, Gabriel bit his lip and looked away.
> 
> “Shit, Gabe, I’m sorry. But I don’t want you getting burned again.”
> 
> “This isn’t like that, Benny. I learned my lesson,” Gabriel muttered bitterly.
> 
> Sam walked back into the room before either man could speak again.
> 
> Benny shot a quick look at Gabriel, cursing internally at the look on his face. Benny knew his partner, and he knew where that look of admiration usually took him. “Well, I think we have enough information for now. We have to go meet with the chief and give our reports.”
> 
> Frowning, Sam questioned, “The chief?”
> 
> “You’re an important man, Sam. Chief Novak is handling the particulars himself,” Benny replied with a soft reassuring smile on his face. He patted his partner on the back and nodded, eyebrow raised at the unamused look Gabriel sent him.
> 
> “Uh, yeah. Yeah, Castiel likes to make sure everything is by the books.” Gabriel forced a smile when he truly wanted to glare at his partner. When Sam turned away, Gabriel indeed glared.
> 
> Benny simply smirked.
> 
> They said their goodbyes and kept the charade up until they were in the car, heading back to the precinct. Gabriel glared out the window before turning his venomous gaze to his partner. “What the fuck, Benny? Last I heard, Cas gave _us_ the case. He’s not invested in it like that.”
> 
> “I’m just looking out for you, _cher_. Knew bringing him up would snap you out of whatever la-la land you were in, looking at Sam,” Benny replied, unruffled by Gabriel’s ire.
> 
> “There’s nothing to look out for!” Gabriel cried, waving his hands. “Have you completely lost faith in me, that you don’t trust me to be professional here?”
> 
> “Gabe, you’re my partner and one of the closest damn friends I have. I gave you my momma’s gumbo recipe, and that’s a family secret!” When Gabriel remained unmoved by his words, Benny sighed. “It’s not that I don’t trust you. I just don’t want to see you hurt again. That with Kali...it _broke_ you. And it almost cost you your job.”
> 
> “Kali was different,” Gabriel insisted quietly.
> 
> “I know that,” Benny agreed. “But it doesn’t change the fact that I know you. I can tell that you like him.”
> 
> “Oh for fuck’s sake, Ben, I just met the guy!”
> 
> Benny rolled his eyes. “I didn’t say you were in love with him. Just that you’re maybe developing a crush. I just want you to keep your wits about you. You may not remember, but I do. This is exactly how it started with Kali.”
> 
> Gabriel groaned and let his head drop into his hands. “You’re killing me, man. What do I have to say to convince you that I’m well aware the guy is off-limits?”
> 
> “Be straight with me.” Benny resolutely ignored the face Gabriel pulled at the unintended pun. “If it starts to get out of hand, let me know. Attraction is one thing. I get that. But emotions are a different thing altogether.”
> 
> “Can we be done with this conversation now, _Dad_?”
> 
> Benny laughed. “Damn, Gabe. Didn’t know you were so kinky.”
> 
> Gabriel sighed loudly, but the joke fulfilled its purpose of breaking the remaining tension, making the ride back to the precinct much more comfortable. Staring out the window, Gabriel caught sight of one of the many billboards with Sam’s visage.
> 
> His resolve hardened. He would find whoever did this.


	2. Chapter Two

> Once the detectives had left his apartment, Sam stood at the door for a moment and simply looked around. Between the officers last night and the trip to the ER for the head wound, he hadn’t had time to clean. 
> 
> He took in the destruction and the mess, sighing heavily at the effort it was going to take to clean it all up. Already feeling a throbbing in his head, Sam headed to the kitchen first, where he grabbed the prescription painkillers the ER had given him. 
> 
> While he waited for the meds to kick in, he pulled out his phone and dialed Dean. 
> 
> _ “Dude, what the fuck,” _ was the first thing his brother said when he picked up.
> 
> “The detectives just left. Want to come over and help clean? I’d say bring beer, but the head wound kind of puts a damper on that.”
> 
> _ “I’m on my way. Burgers sound good?” _
> 
> “Fuck, burgers sound amazing. Thanks, Dean.”
> 
> Sam let himself sink bonelessly onto the couch while he waited for Dean, the prospect of food enough to delay his urge to straighten up. When the knock came on the door, he hauled himself up and carefully looked through the peephole, relief flooding him at the familiar cocky grin. 
> 
> “Cavalry is here,” Dean announced as he strode through the door, bearing a large bag from the closest burger joint and a six pack of beer. At Sam’s pointed look, Dean grinned again. “Oh, these are for me. I got you a Coke.”
> 
> Rolling his eyes, Sam shut and locked the door before following Dean to the kitchen. He wordlessly began to help distribute food onto plates, snagging a fry as he went. 
> 
> “So,” Dean began, his mouth full of food already, “I didn’t want to say anything, but this place looks like shit.”
> 
> “Well, someone breaking in and writing death threats across the walls will do that to a place.”
> 
> “Just saying. I also brought bags and shit for trash. They’re down in the car. Didn’t have the hands to bring everything.”
> 
> Sam nodded his appreciation, taking another bite of his food. “Thanks for helping, jerk.”
> 
> “Anytime, bitch. Now hurry up. I want to be done before my show comes on.”
> 
> “Tell me you’re not still watching that idiotic doctor show. Dean, it’s so fake!”
> 
> They bickered back and forth while they ate, settling into the comfort of their normal interactions. The food didn’t last long, however, and Sam felt dread curl in his gut at the thought of Dean seeing the destruction in the rest of the apartment.
> 
> Sam offered to clean up their meal while Dean went back to the car to get the cleaning supplies he’d brought. He took the time to straighten up the kitchen a bit; it was the only room that had very little damage, only a bit of broken glass on the floor. 
> 
> He made quick work of sweeping that up, looking around for something sturdy to put the shards in. Dean walked in at that moment, carrying a box of trash bags, another broom and dustpan, and a bucket of cleaning supplies. Sam snagged the box and made quick work of pulling the roll of bags out, ignoring Dean’s protests.
> 
> “Dude, what the hell. Why are you- Oh. I gotcha.” Dean watched as Sam dumped the glass he’d swept up into the now empty box, saving them both from potential hazard if they’d put the glass in a bag. “That works.”
> 
> For the next few hours, the brothers worked side by side in comfortable silence to set Sam’s home to rights. They took breaks to rest and chat about inconsequentialities, at least until Sam remembered his earlier visit. 
> 
> He nearly upset his glass of Coke when he jolted forward with wide eyes pinned on Dean. “Dude. I had some detectives come by earlier asking about the break in. One of them is just your type.”
> 
> Dean immediately shook his head. “I’m not interested.”
> 
> “You haven’t even seen the guy!” Sam stared at his brother incredulously. It was very much unlike Dean to pass up the opportunity of a hook up, especially with a man in a uniform.
> 
> Dean grabbed the remote from the coffee table and started aimlessly flipping through the channels. “Don’t need to. Not interested.” He didn’t look at his brother, muttering his response as he continued to surf the channels.
> 
> Sam simply blinked, staring at his brother like he was an alien. He threw his hands in the air and shook his head. “Well, I’ll be damned. I’ve seen it all. Dean ‘playboy’ Winchester is  _ not  _ interested in a  _ cop! _ ” He burst out in laughter when Dean glared at him.
> 
> “You suck,” Dean spat and grabbed the closest throw pillow from the couch flinging it at Sam.
> 
> Sam raised his hands to his face covering it. He fell back to the couch laughing. This back and forth with his brother almost felt normal. For a split second, Sam felt like he was just a normal guy having a night in with his brother, and it felt nice. The feeling didn’t last long, since he was reminded of his crappy life when they had to go back to cleaning his apartment.
> 
> An hour and some change later, the brothers had Sam’s apartment looking somewhat decent. It certainly wasn’t back to the perfect shape that Sam kept it in, but at least all signs of the intruder were gone. All the broken shards of glass were out of the way, the dresser - which had been knocked askew during the struggle - was set back straight, and everything that fell out was folded neatly and tucked back in the drawers. The droplets of blood which had fallen from Sam’s head wound were thoroughly cleaned up and disinfected. 
> 
> Dean took a look around and made a satisfied face. He looked over at his brother, who wasn’t half as as impressed as Dean was with the work. He punched him lightly over the shoulder. “Dude! It looks awesome!”
> 
> “I didn’t say it didn’t.” Sam faked a smile, one which his brother saw right through. Dean grabbed him by the elbow and dragged him over to the couch. He grabbed the last two bottles of beer and popped them both open, handing one to his little brother. 
> 
> Sam raised an eyebrow. “You know I’m not supposed to drink with my meds.” 
> 
> Dean pushed the bottle of beer into his brother’s hands. “It’s  _ one  _ beer. It’s not gonna kill you, and you’ve earned it. Drink up!”
> 
> Sam smiled big and took a big gulp of his beer before setting it down. “Just like when we were kids. You were always sneaking us beers from dad’s fridge.” He smiled fondly at the memory.
> 
> “Yeah, and then I’d get my ass kicked when he’d find out. Good times!” Dean said overly brightly, failing only slightly at keeping the long-held bitterness from his tone. He loved his brother more than anything in the world, but it had not been a pleasant road to where they were now. 
> 
> The two fell into a comfortable silence, drinking their beers and flipping through the channels. Sam would look over at his brother every once in awhile, grateful for having him there. 
> 
> Sam and Dean had had a rough childhood, starting when their mother left them only a few months after Sam was born. She’d had postpartum depression that she never quite got over, and she had decided that it was best for everyone if she disappeared - and she did just that. One day, in the middle of the night, she grabbed a suitcase - one she had already packed and had hidden under the bed, a go-bag of sorts - and left. John Winchester never got over it, and a part of him blamed his youngest son for it. 
> 
> In John’s mind, if Sam had never been born, Mary would have stayed. It never occurred to him that the depression had been present since Dean’s birth four years prior, and that John’s own abrasive personality had pushed that depression along. 
> 
> Once their matriarch had pulled a runner, John sank into the bottle. It made him mean - meaner than he’d ever been before. After a while, Sam learned to stay quiet whenever he was home. John took to ignoring his youngest son, taking out any and all frustrations on Dean. On the rare occasions that Sam drew John’s attention, Dean was always quick to intercede, taking on the physical abuse in order to save his little Sammy. 
> 
> But for all the bumps and bruises along the way, you would be hard-pressed to find a set of brothers as close as Dean and Sam. Some called them unhealthily codependent, but Sam knew that, if he ever needed a single solitary thing, Dean would be there. He hoped that Dean knew the same. 
> 
> Memories of their troubled childhood flooded Sam’s brain as he and his brother absentmindedly drank their beers and perused the TV stations, looking for something interesting to watch. When Dean finally settled on a medical show he watched religiously, Sam burst into laughter.
> 
> “Seriously, Dean? We’re not watching Dr. Stupid!” 
> 
> Dean gave his brother an appalled look. “You watch your mouth! I’ll have you know Dr. Sexy has a medical degree from Harvard  _ and  _ Yale!” 
> 
> Sam huffed out a laugh. “I’m sure that’s why you like him. Not ’cause he’s stupidly gorgeous. And what kind of a doctor wears cowboy boots in a hospital? That’s against every hospital code in the world!”
> 
> “Blasphemy!” Dean cried out as he glared at his brother, who had a silly smile on his face.
> 
> Suddenly, Sam heard a popping noise. he looked around in confusion, landing on Dean. Dean’s glare turned to a pained expression as he clutched his chest. There was blood seeping through his fingers, and he fell to his knees in front of the couch.
> 
> The smile on Sam’s face morphed into an anguished look as he stared, frozen, in disbelief. This wasn’t happening, this had to be a nightmare - one of the many he’d been having ever since the stalking started. He was frozen as Dean slowly bled out on his carpet, shivering in terror, waiting to wake up. This was usually when he woke up. Why wasn’t he waking up?! 
> 
> “S-Sam?” Dean’s pained cry alerted Sam, jarring him into motion. He quickly fell to his brother’s side, putting pressure on the wound as tears started falling from his eyes.
> 
> “S-Sam? W-What happened?” Dean coughed, the force of it causing blood to spray past his lips and onto his brother’s face.
> 
> “You’re gonna be okay, you’re gonna be okay!” Sam said through panicked sobs. He kept one hand over the wound while he tried to fish out his phone from his front pocket. Before he could dial  _ 911 _ , he saw a text message from a blocked number. 
> 
> _ “I’m almost disappointed by how easy it is to break you, Sam. The cops can’t protect you, your brother can’t protect you. No one can protect you. I told you, I’ll get you. You’re next if you keep this up.” _
> 
> His blood frozen in his veins, Sam’s vision began to blacken on the edges as he lost his grip on reality. As he stared at his phone in sheer terror and shock, Sam distantly heard a pounding on his door. 
> 
> “Sam! Open up, it’s the police!”
> 
> But Sam couldn’t move. It was like he’d been cemented to the spot, watching his brother’s vibrant green eyes slowly dim, his breathing slowed to nothing. With a final rattling gasp, Dean’s chest was still. 
> 
> “Sam. Sam.  _ Sam!” _
> 
> Sam gasped as he jolted upright, a hand automatically coming up to his cheek. 
> 
> Dean stared down at Sam, worry on his face and his heart in his throat. “I’m sorry I slapped you, but you weren’t responding,” he said warily. 
> 
> Sam blinked in confusion for a long moment until it clicked.
> 
> _ It had all been a nightmare _ .
> 
> Abject relief washed over Sam, prompting him to lean forward and wrap his arms around Dean, burying his face in Dean’s stomach and clutching tightly.
> 
> “Not that I’m not all for brotherly love, but it’s getting kinda weird now,” the elder brother joked. 
> 
> Sam squeezed tightly to Dean for another moment before letting go, collapsing back into the couch as if boneless. “I guess I fell asleep…” he murmured, eyes glazed and unfocused. They sharpened a moment later and darted to Dean’s still-concerned face. “I had a nightmare. He...he killed you. Shot you through the window.”
> 
> Dean swallowed back the immediate reaction of bluster and snark, instead moving to sit beside Sam and draw the larger man under his arm. “Sam, we’re all doing everything we can to get this sicko. You gotta trust the cops. I won’t promise that nothing will happen to me, but I can promise that even if it does, it’s  _ not your fault _ .”
> 
> Sam felt his eyes and nose burn with the urge to cry. “I just don’t get it, Dean. Why  _ me? _ What have I done to deserve this?”
> 
> “Not a damn thing,” Dean immediately reassure him. “This is just some asshole who has a few screws loose. It’s not something you did, it’s not because you’re a bad person. Sam, you’re the best person I know.”
> 
> “Nah, that’s you,” Sam choked out, giving a watery laugh. 
> 
> “Whatever, bitch. Come on, how about we take a break and get a little sleep. I know you probably haven’t slept at all since last night.”
> 
> Sam nodded, allowing Dean to lead him around like they were kids again. Dean had acted more like a dad to Sam than their own father had most of the time. Sam owed a lot to Dean. 
> 
> For now, he simply followed his brother into the spare bedroom, which - mercifully - hadn’t been touched in the break-in. He toed his shoes off before flopping onto the bed, curling immediately into the fetal position as tightly as he could. Sam heard Dean sigh, then felt the comforting weight of the heavy blanket from the foot of the bed being draped over him. 
> 
> Dean looked down at his moose of a little brother, feeling his heart tug painfully at how much he was hurting. He kicked his own shoes off and sat at the head of the bed, braced against the headboard, and laid a hand on Sam’s back, rubbing in comforting circles as he’d done for years. 
> 
> Whenever Sam had a nightmare, or when John had been especially mean, or when Dean himself had needed the comfort. 
> 
> Sam snuffled into the pillow, a contented sigh escaping him. 
> 
> Dean rubbed his brother’s back for a while. The youngest Winchester felt the weight of the past two days heavy on his eyelids as he tried to blink the sleep away. It didn’t take long for Sam to fall into a deep slumber. Dean looked down at his brother and smiled fondly. The man who usually towered over him looked about five years old, with his brow furrowed and his deep sighs. The eldest brother slowly started to drift into sleep himself and soon both brothers had fallen asleep cuddled up like they used to when they were kids.
> 
> Both were haunted by nightmares throughout the entire night. Each had their own demons to face, and each had a battle to fight in their own way. When Sam’s phone rang at nine in the morning, both brothers jolted from their sleep, terrified but somewhat grateful for the end of their nightmares. 
> 
> “Hello?” Sam answered his phone groggily. His voice was hoarse from sleep and his head was pounding. 
> 
> Dean blinked blearily at his brother, who was nodding to the voice on the phone. 
> 
> “Yeah, yeah sure. I just need about an hour to get ready and get there,” Sam said. Without offering an explanation to his brother, Sam instantly jumped to his feet to start getting ready. However, he failed to take into account the lingering effects of the blow to his head. Sam stumbled backwards a couple of steps and managed to brace himself before he could fall flat on his ass.
> 
> Dean quickly rushed to his brother’s aid, bracing him as he found his feet again and started walking towards his bedroom. “Woah, woah! Where do you think you’re going?” Dean put his hands on his hips and gave Sam his best mother-hen attitude.
> 
> “That was the police station. They need me to go downtown and look at a lineup, see if I recognize anyone,” Sam explained. He pulled out a shirt and a tie from his closet, intending to pass by the office after he finished up at the police station.
> 
> Dean tapped his foot and looked his brother up and down before he made up his mind. He walked back toward the guest room to get his shoes. “I’ll go with you,” Dean stated, not asking or offering.
> 
> Sam turned around, tie halfway done. “No, Dean. You don’t have to, really.” 
> 
> “Bullshit! I’m going, no negotiating about it,” Dean said, leaning against the doorjamb as he pulled up his boot and started lacing it. 
> 
> The ride to the police station was quiet save for the roaring of Dean’s car. It had become especially quiet after Dean discovered that Sam was intending on going by the office after they finished at the station. The two had an argument that ended with Sam telling Dean to stay out of his business.The elder of the two didn’t reply, just tightened his grip on the steering wheel and stayed silent for the rest of the ride. 
> 
> He whipped into a parking spot and sat for a moment while Sam immediately exited the car. Once Dean’s temper had calmed, he followed Sam inside. 
> 
> As he strode into the building and honed in on Sam’s tall form, Dean stutter-stepped before stopping cold in his tracks. 
> 
> “You!” he hissed, marching up to the man standing a few feet from Sam. 
> 
> The dark-haired man blinked in surprise before his expression settled into curiosity. “May I help you?”
> 
> “Yeah,” Dean bit out, “you can not be such an asshole when someone tries to compliment you.”
> 
> Sam choked as he whirled to face Dean, grabbing his arm and yanking him a few feet away. “Dude, that’s the  _ chief of police _ .”
> 
> Dean’s eyes widened in shock for a moment before narrowing once more. “So what? He’s still an asshole.”
> 
> “Not that I don’t love to hear people talk smack about my baby bro, but maybe we could move this conversation to, say,  _ not _ the middle of the office?” Gabriel sauntered up, his every word dripping sarcasm. 
> 
> Dean flushed as he realized that the majority of the bullpit was staring at him. “Yeah, fine. Let’s get this over with.”
> 
> “I think that’s  _ my _ line, Dean,” Sam said dryly. 
> 
> Gabriel snorted and chanced a look up, feeling his heart flutter at the mirth in Sam’s eyes. After a not-so-gentle nudge from Cas, he clapped his hands together and said cheerily, “Follow me!”
> 
> As they followed along, Sam whispered sharply to Dean, “What the fuck was that with Chief Novak?”
> 
> Dean scowled at the name and squared his jaw mulishly before finally sighing and explaining his reaction. “Let’s just say he’s the reason I’ve sworn off men in uniforms and leave it at that for now.”
> 
> Sam snorted but hurried to look contrite when Dean glared at him. “Sorry.”
> 
> “Yeah, whatever,” Dean grumbled. 
> 
> Gabriel grinned to himself, having overheard the brothers’ not-very-quiet conversation. He wondered for a moment if he should tell Dean that Cas was asexual before deciding that it didn’t really matter anyways. It wasn’t his place to go telling Cas’ business. 
> 
> He led the brothers to the rear of the building, to a nondescript door that seemed to hide a normal-looking room. However, one wall of this room was taken up by a large two-way mirror. On the other side of this mirror stood the other detective from the day before, Benny. 
> 
> Dean choked when he saw the man - a reaction that did not go unnoticed by Sam  _ or _ Gabriel. 
> 
> “So, Benny there is gonna bring in a lineup of guys that fit the MO, have the time of attack unaccounted for, and have any sort of connection to you. Okay, Sam?”
> 
> Sam swallowed tightly at Gabriel’s words, but he nodded his assent. 
> 
> Gabriel reached over to the wall and flipped a switch. Benny looked up and nodded at the glass partition, then strode to one of the doors inside the other room. He knocked abruptly, then opened the door to allow a string of persons into the room. 
> 
> Sam held his breath as they marched in and lined up against the far wall, facing the glass. He searched each face, hoping for one to jog his memory. When Gabriel glanced at him, Sam shook his head. None looked familiar. 
> 
> Gabriel didn’t look disappointed, as Sam had feared. He simply nodded his head. “Did your attacker speak at all the other night?” he asked suddenly.
> 
> Sam jumped at the sound of his voice, wound too tightly to be calm. “Umm...I think so? I can’t really remember all that well, since I came to after he’d bludgeoned me.”
> 
> “Post-concussion, then. Okay, we’ll try this anyways.” Gabriel reached over and flipped the lightswitch twice, then turned it off. 
> 
> Benny stepped up to the first guy in the lineup, gesturing to the table where a microphone sat. The guy - a heavily tattooed beast - sat gingerly in the metal chair and leaned forward to say clearly his name and age. The information wasn’t truly that important; it was more for the vocal reference.
> 
> Gabriel looked at Sam expectantly, but Sam shook his head. 
> 
> One by one, the suspects sat at the desk and said various phrases. Sam listened hard to every one of them, but not a single voice sounded familiar to him. 
> 
> He glanced at Gabriel, worried that the detective would be irritated at the waste of time. Instead, Gabriel had an expression of concern aimed at Sam. 
> 
> “Are you okay?” the detective asked, stepping over to lay a hand on Sam’s shoulder. 
> 
> “Yeah, I’m fine,” Sam answered, more than a little confused. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
> 
> “Some people have pretty strong reactions to this process.”
> 
> Sam sighed and shook his head. “No, I’m fine. I’m just sorry it was a waste of time.”
> 
> Gabriel’s brows drew together. “A waste of time?”
> 
> “Yeah, because I didn’t recognize any of them.”
> 
> “Sam, that’s just standard procedure. We didn’t really think we’d nab the guy so quickly. Not with how long all of this has been going on. But we have to do this with any recent arrests who match the description or MO.”
> 
> Understanding dawned on Sam’s face, replaced with abject relief. “Thank God. I was worried I’d wasted your time.”
> 
> Gabriel smirked. “You could never waste my time,” he joked, a smidge of insinuation in his tone. 
> 
> Sam’s cheeks pinkened at the tone, but he didn’t say anything. 
> 
> Dean stepped forward and said, “Is there anything else for us to do here?”
> 
> “Nope, all done. We just have to get those guys down to holding so they can be booked on whatever brought them in.” Gabriel tapped on the glass with his knuckles in a specific pattern, which Benny apparently knew well. 
> 
> Benny began herding the suspects into a line once more, then knocked on the door they’d come from. The door opened from the other side, a uniformed officer appearing to escort the arrestees to wherever they were going next. 
> 
> A moment later, he joined the other three in the viewing room. “No luck?” he asked, perching on the table.
> 
> Gabriel shook his head and answered, “Nah, but it’s no big deal.”
> 
> “Guy like this, been on the run for so long? He’s not gonna do something stupid to get caught now,” Benny agreed easily. 
> 
> Sam sighed, feeling frustrated once more. 
> 
> Dean heard the sound and stepped forward to lay a hand on Sam’s shoulder. “If that’s all, can we get outta here? Sammy here needs some more rest.”
> 
> “Yeah, absolutely,” Gabriel readily agreed. “Take care of yourself, Sam. We’ll be in touch in a few days - sooner if anything comes up.”
> 
> Sam nodded wearily and stood, swaying on his feet. Dean caught him easily and stared at him with evident worry. Sam shook the dizziness off and took a step to shake hands with Gabriel and Benny. “Thank you both for all the trouble.”
> 
> “No trouble,  _ cher. _ Don’t hesitate to call if you see anything suspicious or just feel like anythin’s wrong.” As he spoke, Benny handed Sam a calling card with his and Gabriel’s info printed in neat characters.
> 
> Sam stared at the card for a few seconds before finally shoving it into his pocket. “Thank you.”
> 
> Dean steered him away without another word. The red tint to his cheeks made Sam grin, vowing to himself to bring Benny up as much as possible. 
> 
> They headed back to Sam’s place in silence, a mixtape softly playing in the background. 
> 
>  
> 
>  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think of chapter two? We really want to know!


	3. Chapter Three

> Gabriel grinned as the brothers left, his gaze zeroing in on Benny. The other man had a slightly dazed look on his face, and Gabriel took great pleasure in throwing Benny’s words back in his face. “You might want to wipe that dumb look off your face,” he said gleefully. 
> 
> Benny frowned at him. “What are you talking about?”
> 
> “I’m talking about you ogling Sam’s beefcake brother.”
> 
> “You’re crazy,  _ cher,” _ Benny denied. 
> 
> Gabriel rolled his eyes. “Whatever you say, Ben, whatever you say.”
> 
> Partner sufficiently heckled, Gabriel moseyed to his desk and began sorting through the known facts about Sam’s stalker. The more he looked, the more holes he saw. Sighing in frustration, he sat back and tossed the papers down.
> 
> “I’m gonna have to talk him again,” he bemoaned, drawing Benny’s attention. At his partner’s questioning look, he explained. “There’s not enough information. We have to know more if we have any chance of catching this guy.”
> 
> Benny snorted. “I’m sure it’s such a hardship for you.”
> 
> “Says the man concerned that I’m going to throw my career away on this guy,” Gabriel shot back. 
> 
> Benny nodded. “Fair point.”
> 
> Gabriel sighed again and looked to the heavens for strength. “Well, back into the fire, I suppose.”
> 
> Laughing, Benny turned back to his desk. “Good luck, brother.”
> 
> ***********
> 
> Sam kept sneaking glances at Dean as they drove back to his apartment. After the first few times, Dean glared and snapped, “What the fuck are you looking at?”
> 
> Sam grinned and said back, “A jerk with a crush.”
> 
> “Shut the fuck up, bitch,” came the immediate reply.
> 
> A laugh echoed in the car. “You’re so cute when you have a crush,” Sam cooed.
> 
> A tiny hint of a blush crept up Dean’s face as he gave his brother a death glare, making sure not to keep his eyes off the road for too long. He struggled to find an adequate comeback to his brother’s taunts, but the eldest Winchester was never as proficient as his brother when it came to witty comebacks. As kids, Sam had always had the last word, no matter how hard Dean tried to outmaneuver him.
> 
> “Awwww, look how adorable that blush is. Should we ask Benny if he’s free later?” Sam kept taunting Dean, completely missing the moment he stepped over the line. 
> 
> Dean hit the brakes abruptly. Thankfully, the road was empty, and they avoided a collision. “Why don’t we ask him if he would bring his partner with him? You seem to be drooling all over him!”
> 
> “What the hell is your problem?” Anger was evident on Sam’s face, echoed by the scowl on Dean’s.
> 
> “Your stupid hypocritical attitude is my problem!” Dean snapped back almost immediately.
> 
> Sam raised his eyebrows and looked at Dean in disbelief. “I do not have a crush on Officer Novak.”
> 
> Dean scoffed. He turned the key in the ignition and started back on the journey to his brother’s apartment. “Methinks the dude protests too much.” Dean enjoyed the discomfiture on Sam’s face for a solid moment before he finally sighed. “Look, can we just drop it?”
> 
> “Yes,” Sam said shortly. He wasn’t ashamed of his...appreciation of Gabriel’s fine form, but it was embarrassing to be called out on it. With that in mind, Sam realized how he had made Dean feel. 
> 
> The brothers rode in silence for a few miles before they both spoke, apologizing at the same moment. 
> 
> They laughed at the echoed words, feeling the bad mood wash away. 
> 
> “Seriously, Dean, I’m sorry. That was uncalled for.”
> 
> “Nah, it’s fine. You know I’d have done the same,” Dean waved the apology away. 
> 
> Sam tilted his head in acknowledgement. “True.”
> 
> Just as Sam was about to speak again, his phone trilled a text message alert. He flinched at the sound, having grown to dread the sound of his phone. Ever since Sam’s stalker started escalating his harassment, whenever the phone rang Sam expected the worst. Unfortunately, the attacker wasn’t stupid enough to make the mistake of leaving any kind of trail behind.
> 
> Now, he took his phone out of his pocket and glanced at it. A small hint of a smile pulled at the corner of his lips when he saw that it was a text message from Gabriel.
> 
> The smile did not go unnoticed by Dean. “Work?” he asked, just to needle at Sam. 
> 
> Sam peeled his eyes off his phone to look at his brother and figure out whether it was worth it to lie to him or just endure more taunting. “Umm, no. Gabr-Officer Novak will be coming over tomorrow afternoon. He has some more questions for me. But I do need to stop by the office, so don’t forget to swing by there.”
> 
> Dean grinned and shook his head at the mention of Gabriel, but thankfully made no comment. He turned his attention back to the drive and delivered them both safely to Sam’s office. He allowed Sam twenty minutes inside before bulldozing in and ushering him out, much to the amusement of Sam’s coworkers.
> 
> Once they reached the apartment, Dean quickly set about searching local eateries that delivered, settling on a Chinese place with four stars. As he ordered enough food to feed an army - or two overgrown brothers - he watched Sam rifle through the files he’d brought from the office. 
> 
> With a sigh, Sam shoved the papers away and sat back in his chair. His head pounding from the stress and the concussion, he downed one of the remaining pain pills and washed it down with water. As he stood in the kitchen and studied Dean, something occurred to him. 
> 
> “So, what  _ exactly _ happened with Chief Novak?” he asked. 
> 
> Dean snorted and scowled. “A few days before the break-in, I stopped in at that coffee place I like down on the corner, right? And there stood this really attractive guy with a friggin’  _ uniform _ on and I knew I had to make a move. So after I ordered my coffee and we were both waiting by the counter, I smiled at him and told him he was really attractive. He squinted his eyes at me and said “physical attributes should not be the criteria by which to judge a person.” I laughed and asked him out on a date. You know what he said? “No, thank you.” Dude is so goddamn full of himself.” Dean finished his retelling with an eye-roll so dramatic, Sam was surprised he didn’t pull an eye muscle.
> 
> Sam raised both brows at the story, disbelief coursing through him at such a strange turn of events. “Well, Benny certainly isn’t full of himself,” he finally said. 
> 
> Dean sent him a Dean-esque version of Sam’s bitchface. “You wanna go there again?”
> 
> Sam laughed and shook his head.”I’m just giving you a hard time,” he reassured Dean. 
> 
> The two settled in quickly after that, watching television and gorging themselves on the Chinese food that Dean had ordered. 
> 
> If nothing else, Sam mused, this whole situation had fostered some good brotherly quality time.
> 
>  
> 
> ***********
> 
>  
> 
> The next day, Sam was back to freak-out mode about Gabriel. Officer Novak. Whatever!
> 
> Dean watched bemusedly as Sam “no crush” Winchester hurried around the place, tidying what little mess they’d left that morning. The elder of the two flopped onto the couch and turned the TV on, casually paging through channels until something grabbed his interest. 
> 
> Finally out of things to clean, Sam sat beside Dean with a sigh. A moment later, he looked down at his shirt and bolted to his feet. 
> 
> Dean glared at him. “If you want to stick to your story about not liking the guy, don’t even think about changing that shirt.”
> 
> Sam blushed even as he returned the glare. A moment later he nodded in resignation and sat once more. After a few tense moments, he opened his mouth to speak, but Dean cut him off.
> 
> “Look, man, it’s on you whether or not to be honest about this, but I think you should go for it.”
> 
> “Wait, what?” Sam asked, gobsmacked.
> 
> “You usually go for assholes, so I’m not surprised you’re attracted to someone snarky, but he wasn’t a total dick at the station. Not like the people you’ve dated in the past. So, until he fucks up, he’s got my - well, okay, not my approval, but maybe a lack of antagonism.”
> 
> Sam laughed, though Dean’s words truly meant a lot. “Thanks, Dean,” he said sincerely once the laughter had died out.
> 
> “Yeah, yeah. No chick flick moments!” 
> 
> While they waited for Gabriel to show up, the brothers watched TV and snarked back and forth. Sam compulsively checked his watch every few minutes, but Dean thankfully didn’t comment. When the knock finally came, Sam all but bolted to his feet, looking a bit nauseated. 
> 
> “Dude, chill,” Dean said quietly.
> 
> Sam sighed but stopped and took a deep breath. A bit more calm, he walked to the door and checked the peephole before tugging it open to admit the detective. “Officer Novak,” he greeted, ushering the other man inside.
> 
> Gabriel snorted. “Please. Gabriel. Don’t remind me I’m the thing I used to hate,” he joked. 
> 
> “Used to hate?” Sam questioned.
> 
> “Yeah I was a bit of a troublemaker in my teens. Typical broken home sob story. I showed out to get the attention that Daddy never showed me. Spent a fair amount of time in the juvie cell at the local PD.”
> 
> Sam winced. “I can relate, somewhat,” he said quietly. “Oh, uh, let me take your jacket,” he offered belatedly.
> 
> Gabriel grinned. “Trying to get me out of my clothes already? Buy me a drink first, kiddo,” he joked. At the blush on Sam’s face, he realized that may have been a bit forward. “Shit, Sam, sorry. My mouth gets away with me sometimes.”
> 
> Swallowing his impulsive response - an actual offer of a drink - Sam just waved the apology off. “It’s fine. Not used to people besides my brother having such a...colorful sense of humor.”
> 
> Gabriel laughed and nodded. “I gotcha. So, where do you want to do this?”
> 
> “Uh, in the living room?”
> 
> “Sure, sure,” Gabriel agreed, following when Sam led the way. 
> 
> Once into the spacious room, Sam noted with panic that Dean was tugging on his jacket. “What’s up, Dean?”
> 
> “I’m gonna go grab some pizzas,” he said easily. “And probably some more beer, if I have to put up with your nasty ass pineapple pizza.”
> 
> Sam’s face fell into his signature bitchface, all but glaring at his brother. “You eat pizza that’s a week old, cold. You have zero room to talk.”
> 
> “Whatever, it’s still nasty. Fruit doesn’t belong on a pizza, Sam, it’s an abomination.”
> 
> Gabriel grinned at the bickering siblings. “I gotta agree with your brother, Sam. Pineapple goes in piña coladas and fruit salads, maybe covered in chocolate, but pizzas? No way!” 
> 
> Sam whipped his head so fast to glare at Gabriel, he nearly gave himself whiplash. “You’re taking sides,  _ Officer?” _
> 
> “He is the law after all, Sammy!” 
> 
> “Sammy was a chubby 12 year old,” Sam began, his face starting to go red at the age-old argument.
> 
> Dean waved his brother’s objections off as he walked past him. “Yeah, yeah. I’m going to get the pizzas.”
> 
> Sam and Gabriel were left standing in a wash of awkwardness after the door clicked shut behind Dean. It was nearly half a minute before both of them spoke, overlapping and feeling awkward once more. 
> 
> “Would you like something to drink?” Sam finally asked.  
> 
> At the same time, Gabriel burst out with, “So, this is a nice place when it’s not ransacked.”
> 
> Sam choked on his breath, his shocked gaze darting to Gabriel. The detective had his head in his hands, muffling what sounded eerily like a scream. 
> 
> Gabriel finally lifted his head, a beleaguered expression on his face. “I swear to god I’m not usually like this. Fuck, yes, I would love something to drink, if only to wash away the memory of ever saying that. Unfortunately, I’m on the clock.”
> 
> “I, uh...I meant water. Or tea?”
> 
> “Fuck, of course you did. I’m so sorry. Yes, I’ll take some water. Don’t mind me if I drown myself in it.”
> 
> Sam snorted a laugh as he stood to get their drinks. “Dude, it’s fine. No need for the dramatics.”
> 
> “I’ve said no less than three stupid things to you since I walked in the door less than five minutes ago. I’m not off to a great start here.”
> 
> Making his way back from the kitchen, Sam handed a glass of water to Gabriel and gestured to the couch. “Well, we can just forget the last five minutes and pretend it didn’t happen.”
> 
> “I’d like that,” Gabriel said with a grateful smile. He took a drink of water and placed the glass down on the table before reaching into his jacket and drawing out his notebook. “So what do you say we get down to business?” When Sam nodded, Gabriel opened the book and clicked his pen. “I feel like we’re missing something here. There’s not a whole lot of evidence in general, especially considering how long this has been going on and how much it’s escalated over the last few months.”
> 
> Sam swallowed past the sudden lump in his throat, nodding his agreement. “That’s partially my fault for not going to the police sooner. I never thought it would get this bad.”
> 
> Gabriel looked up to see Sam’s downtrodden expression, unable to help himself from reaching over to pat Sam’s knee. When Sam’s hazel eyes leapt to meet Gabriel’s, Gabriel hoped he wasn’t coming off as a creep. He slowly withdrew his hand, but murmured, “Sam, it’s not your fault. None of this is your fault, okay?”
> 
> Nodding, even though he didn’t quite agree - surely he’d done  _ something _ that had prompted this person to fixate on him - Sam sighed and let Gabriel comfort him. 
> 
> After a moment, Gabriel turned his focus back to the paper in his hand. “Look, Sam we need to cover all the bases here. So, is there anything you’re maybe not telling me? An angry ex? A colleague who hates you? Someone you cut in line at the donut shop? Anything can be useful.” 
> 
> Taken aback, it took Sam a moment to reply. “I don’t have any secrets, if that’s what you’re asking. I have a pretty boring life: I go to work, I come home and hang out with my brother. I don’t have friends, I barely socialize with my colleagues, and I haven’t even had sex in a year. Even that was a bust because I was too scared that the guy would turn out to be my fucking stalker to enjoy it,” Sam spat, not appreciating the insinuation he felt Gabriel had slipped into the questioning. “So I don’t know what you’re expecting me to divulge here, but I don’t have some deep, dark secret! I’m just a boring guy, with a boring job, and a boring life. I don’t know why anyone would be interested enough to stalk me.”
> 
> Gabriel blinked slowly, taking in all of what Sam had said. Despite having plenty to work with, his brain was caught on the end of Sam’s spiel. His brows furrowed, he looked up at Sam and tilted his head. “You’re not boring,” he said. “You’re smart and funny, attractive as hell, and if I weren’t a detective assigned to your case, I would have asked you for your number right off the bat.”
> 
> Taken aback, Sam could only gape at Gabriel before finally wheezing, “W-what?”
> 
> Blushing but not backing down, Gabriel inched forward on the couch to once more lay his hand on Sam’s knee. “I didn’t mean to upset you, Sam, but I am trying to  _ help you _ . If that means we solve your case quickly enough to maybe be able to take you out to dinner before you get tired of me, that’s just a bonus.”
> 
> Sam stared at Gabriel in shock for a long solid minute, during which time Gabriel began to worry he’d crossed a line. Before he could pull away from Sam, Sam darted forward to lay a hand on Gabriel’s cheek, thumb brushing the arching bone. He leaned forward, his eyes fluttering closed…
> 
> Across the street, a figure in a dark hooded sweater watched as Gabriel moved closer to Sam. Their breath caught for a moment before slowly leaving their chest with a  _ whoosh _ . Gratification spread through them when Sam became angry, along with a significant amount of lust. 
> 
> Sam was always the most attractive when he was angry, when the flames of his temper licked into a conflagration, burning anyone in its vicinity. 
> 
> But no, now Sam was calming once more as the detective laid his hand on Sam’s leg once again.
> 
> Anger spread through the hidden figure as Gabriel moved closer once more, as Sam responded. When Sam’s hand tenderly touched Gabriel’s face, inching even closer, a hissed curse was spit from between gritted teeth. Glass shattered as the figure dropped their binoculars, uncaring as to the damage left behind. 
> 
> All they cared about was the fact that someone was going to  _ pay _ for this betrayal.
> 
> “Sam, wait!” Gabriel cried out, his hand grasping Sam’s wrist and tugging it away from his face. “I  _ can’t _ do this. I could lose my job,” he said quietly, regretfully. “It’s not that I don’t want to!” he said quickly, seeing Sam’s expression shut down. “I just can’t afford to have your case thrown out because of a conflict of interest. That wouldn’t be good for either of us.”
> 
> “I understand,” Sam said quietly. “Would you like to get back to the questions?” he asked evenly, reverting to the tone he used to speak to clients. 
> 
> Gabriel sighed and nodded, scooting back on the couch to put some distance between them. 
> 
> The next thirty minutes passed slowly and awkwardly for both of them, finally ending when Gabriel stood and flipped his notebook shut.
> 
> “I think that’s good for now,” he said with no small amount of relief. “I’ll get this worked into the file and we can go from there.”
> 
> “Sounds good,” Sam agreed. He walked Gabriel to the door, bidding him goodnight and trying not to feel like a complete ass as the detective walked away. Once Gabriel was in the elevator, Sam closed the door and banged his head against the wood, calling himself stupid with every hollow  _ thunk _ . 
> 
> Wishing for an end to the day, he headed to the kitchen, reaching in and pulling out a bottle of his favorite beer - Dean refused to drink it, so it’d been safe over the last few days. Still reflecting morosely on the last hour or so, he flopped onto the couch and popped the beer open. Taking a long swig, he hoped to forget the interaction with Gabriel. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was chapter three what you expected?


	4. Chapter Four

> A shrill sound had Sam bolting upright from where he’d apparently fallen asleep, somehow miraculously not spilling the half-full bottle of beer. He floundered until he realized that his phone was ringing. 
> 
> Thumbing the call to  _ Answer _ , he spoke. “This is Sam Winchester.”
> 
> _ “Sam, thank god. Look, you need to get down to the hospital right away.” _
> 
> “Dean? What’s going on?” Sam demanded, already up and moving for the door.
> 
> _ “I’m fine. It’s Gabriel. He was attacked outside your building. I found him on my way back with the pizzas, called his partner. They brought him by ambulance and he’s in the ER now.” _
> 
> Sam froze with a hand on the doorknob, stomach clenching in fear and dread. “What does this have to do with me?” he asked quietly, trying and probably failing to keep his voice even. 
> 
> _ “Well, asshole, I thought you’d like to come make sure the nice detective is okay after all he’s doing to help you,” _ came Dean’s sarcastic reply. Quieter, he added,  _ “And he’s mumbled your name a few times.” _
> 
> “Shit. Okay, I’ll be there in a few.” He hung up and sighed, glancing down as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. Another sigh escaped him when he realized he’d nearly left the apartment in socked feet.
> 
> Sam put his shoes on as fast as he could and stumbled out of the apartment. His heartbeat was pounding in his ears with the thought of all the terrible possibilities of what could have happened to Gabriel, unable to shake the feeling that this was somehow his fault. Once he arrived at the hospital, his worst fear was confirmed.
> 
> “What happened to him?” Sam demanded from Benny, not bothering with a greeting as he strode up to the detective in the waiting room.
> 
> Benny looked like hell, but he still managed to send a bemused look Dean’s way. “He’s okay,  _ cher _ . They sedated him, so he won’t be snarking at anyone for a few hours.”
> 
> Sam gave the detective his world famous bitchface before directing it at his brother. “That’s not what I asked.”
> 
> “We don’t really know, Sammy. I found him in the parking lot of your building with a big gash across the back of his skull. It might have been a mugging-”
> 
> “No, he had all his personal effects on him,” Benny broke in, interrupting him.
> 
> “So we don’t know who did this to him?” Sam asked sharply. His face fell as he said morosely, “It could have been my stalker, couldn’t it?” Ice pierced his veins as his suspicions were all but confirmed by the expression on Benny’s face. 
> 
> Benny laid a hand on Sam’s shoulder, trying to comfort him. “Look, buddy, I promise we’ll find out who’s stalking you. I also promise to find out what happened to Gabe. Believe me, no one is more interested in finding the jerk who hurt him than the chief of the police.” He winked at Sam, prompting a half smile in return.
> 
> “Hey, why don’t we go grab a cup of coffee? It looks like we’ll be here a while,” Dean said as he gently guided his brother toward the elevator, an arm wrapped around his shoulders. 
> 
> “Yeah, sure,” Sam said softly. The brothers headed down the hall, leaving Benny to stare after them. 
> 
> “What a damn mess this is,” he grumbled. It was obvious that Sam cared about what happened to Gabriel, but Benny knew that things could go south quickly for his partner if there was even a hint of a repeat of the situation with Kali. With nothing else to do but wait, Benny sank into a chair to wait for news. 
> 
> Sam worried his lip with his teeth the whole way to the cafeteria, wanting to voice his concerns about Gabriel but also not wanting to jeopardize the other man’s career. Finally, he sighed and reminded himself that this was his own brother. If he couldn’t trust Dean, who  _ could _ he trust?
> 
> “Dean,” he said hesitantly.
> 
> “Yeah?”
> 
> “Is he… Was he...okay?”
> 
> Dean sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I’m not gonna lie, he scared the shit out of me. I thought he was dead when I saw him just laying there with blood all over his face. But the EMTs said his pulse was strong, that he was responding to stimuli, so it can’t be all that bad.”
> 
> “We almost kissed,” Sam whispered.
> 
> “What? That’s great!” Dean caught the wounded look on Sam’s face. “That’s not great?”
> 
> “He stopped me and said that he couldn’t risk his job.”
> 
> “Well, duh. He’s the lead detective on your case. That’s a huge conflict of interest and could end up having the whole thing thrown out.” At Sam’s shocked look, Dean glared. “I watch a lot of ID,” he defended. 
> 
> Sam shook his head at the statement, amused by his brother’s varied interests. He sobered a moment later. “What if he’s not okay?” he whispered, heart aching at the prospect.
> 
> “Sam, you gotta believe everything will be okay. Have faith.”
> 
> Sam said nothing else until they reached the waiting room once more. He smiled at Dean and thanked him for being there before politely telling him to go home. 
> 
> “Dean, there’s nothing you can do. There’s nothing I can do, either, but I’m not leaving.”
> 
> After studying his brother’s face for a moment, Dean sighed beleagueredly and agreed. “Fine. But I’m just gonna run to the house and change clothes.” He looked down at himself, feeling sick at the sight of Gabriel’s blood staining his jeans.
> 
> Sam nodded and watched Dean walk away, fighting the urge to call him back. But no, he had questions and he couldn’t ask them while Dean and Benny were making heart eyes at each other.
> 
> Sitting beside Benny in an uncomfortable waiting chair, Sam fiddled with his coffee cup until he finally blurted, “Who’s Kali?”
> 
> Benny choked on air and turned incredulous eyes toward Sam. “What?”
> 
> Sighing, Sam sat back and slouched in his chair. “The first day you guys came to ask questions. I heard you mention someone named Kali. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I couldn’t help but overhear it.”
> 
> “You want the short or the long of it?” Benny asked.
> 
> “I’m not really sure,” Sam admitted. “I don’t want it to change things with me and Gabriel.”
> 
> Now it was Benny’s turn to sigh. “Kali was a stalking victim. One of our first cases. She was beautiful, smart, and had a jealous ex that had taken to staking out her apartment and scaring off any guys she tried to date. Gabriel fell hard and quick, wanted to give her the world. He poured his heart and soul into getting her case closed, getting the ex put behind bars.”
> 
> Benny paused, and Sam was almost afraid to ask him to keep going. But Benny didn’t need the prompting, just a moment to collect his thoughts.
> 
> “Once the case was done,  _ t _ ’s crossed and  _ i _ ’s dotted, Gabriel confessed to her, told her that he’d never loved anyone like he loved her and he wanted the chance to show her he could make her happy. She laughed in his face, told him that all she wanted was to forget he existed, that he only reminded her of the worst time of her life. She filed a complaint with the Chief for unwanted attentions and left town. Gabriel almost lost his damn job, on top losing his heart.”
> 
> “Shit,” Sam whispered, his heart hurting for the man he had grown to care for. 
> 
> “So it wasn’t anythin’ personal, Sam. He’s been my partner for ten years and my best friend for almost as long. I was just trying to look out for him.”
> 
> Sam shook his head and gave Benny a small smile. “I didn’t blame you,” he reassured the other man. “I was just curious, wondered if whatever happened with her had anything to do with...earlier.”
> 
> Benny raised a brow, wondering just what had happened  _ earlier _ , but didn’t ask. Instead, he patted Sam’s shoulder and told him that everything would work out.
> 
> A while later, Gabriel was admitted to the hospital for overnight observation. He still hadn’t woken up since being brought to the ER, which worried Sam. The doctor wasn’t quite as concerned, however, due to the results from the multiple tests that had been run on him. 
> 
> His brain activity was normal, no abnormalities had been seen on the CT scan, and he responded to external stimulus. He simply wouldn’t wake up. 
> 
> Sometime after Dean returned, Benny finally left to head back to the station, intending to fill Cas in and start writing up a report on what little he knew. Until Gabriel woke up and could fill in the blanks, there was very little to go on. 
> 
> Sam, on the other hand, refused to leave Gabriel’s bedside. Despite Dean’s nagging and protests, Sam still pulled a chair closer to Gabe’s bed and sat there, just watching him sleep. Fully disgusted by the soppiness, Dean left for the night and promised to be back in the morning. 
> 
> Sam was glad to see him go, if only to be able to gently hold Gabriel’s hand. When boredom overcame him, he couldn’t help but fantasize what a life with the detective would be like, if they were given the chance.
> 
> Sam had never admitted this to anyone - not even his brother - but deep down, he wanted the domestic life just as badly as he wanted to be a lawyer. He’d dated a little during his college years, trying to find  _ the one, _ but he had begun to feel that dating was getting in the way of his dream of becoming a lawyer. He had put that dream - a family, a spouse, a white picket fence - on the back burner, and it never got put back onto his list of priorities. 
> 
> However, with Gabriel, he could see it happening. He didn’t understand it, didn’t see the logic of wanting a life with someone he’d only known for a couple of days, but it is what it is. 
> 
> A soft groan pulled Sam away from his fantasies. He looked up and saw Gabriel’s eyelids fluttering open. His heart raced and he quickly jumped to his feet, yelling out for a nurse as he rushed forward to grasp Gabriel’s hand in his own.
> 
> The first thing Gabriel saw when he opened his eyes was Sam’s face, his lips pursed in worry. Then, as his vision cleared and sharpened, Gabriel took in the brows drawn together, the tears forming in Sam’s eyes. His beautiful hazel eyes, which seemed to always knock the breath out of Gabriel and make him feel like he was choking... Wait, no - he  _ was  _ choking! 
> 
> Gabriel made a gagging noise and instantly reached for the tube in his throat, trying to pull it out. 
> 
> Sam gently grasped his hands and pulled them away from his face, murmuring, “No, don’t do that. You’re in the hospital, Gabriel - you were attacked.”
> 
> As Sam was speaking, a nurse came rushing into the room and gently moved Sam aside. “Mister Novak, my name is Meg and I’m your nurse. I know this is uncomfortable and scary, but I need you to calm down for me, okay? We can’t just jerk this out, or it could hurt you. Slow, deep breaths, Mister Novak. There we go.”
> 
> Meg’s soothing voice helped calm Gabriel enough to stop reaching for the breathing tube, allowing the nurse to page for the doctor assigned to Gabriel. Within moments, a tall man entered the room, smiling disarmingly at Gabriel as he tugged on a pair of gloves and moved to the other side of the bed. 
> 
> “Mister Novak, my name is Gadreel. I’m the doctor who will be keeping an eye on you tonight. But first, let’s get that out of your throat, huh?” 
> 
> Sam watched as the medical duo laid Gabriel’s bed flat before coaxing the alarmingly-long plastic tube from his throat. Gabriel began coughing as soon as it was free, but he was  _ awake _ . 
> 
> Meg handed Gabriel a glass of water, advising him to drink slowly. Gadreel checked Gabriel over, listening to his lungs and heart and checking his pupils and reactions. 
> 
> Ten minutes later, Sam and Gabriel were left alone. Silence reigned for long moments before they both tried to speak at once. 
> 
> “How are you?” Sam asked. 
> 
> “I’m so sorry,” Gabriel said at the same moment. 
> 
> They laughed awkwardly before Sam waved for Gabriel to go ahead. 
> 
> “I’m...I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to lead you on  _ or _ shut you down. I wanted to kiss you so badly, but I’m trying to look out for both of us.” His voice was rough from the abuse of the breathing tube being removed, but his tone was sincere.
> 
> Sam nodded. “I realize that now. I let myself get offended and I’m sorry for shutting down on you. I do like you, and I would like to explore this once all this is over. If...if you want to.”
> 
> “Yes!” Gabriel blurted, his face flushing at how quickly he’d answered.
> 
> Sam’s head jerked up and he met Gabriel’s eye with a grin. “Yeah?”
> 
> “Of course, moose brain. I would now, if not for your case. Not trying to toot my own horn, but Benny and I are the best. At least in this district. I don’t trust anyone else to do right by you.”
> 
> Sam felt a blush creeping up his face. He nodded and took Gabriel’s hand in his. “What happened, Gabe?” he finally asked, needing to know how this had all come about.
> 
> Gabriel swallowed the lump that formed in his throat. He didn’t want to remember. That moment with Sam - holding his hand and smiling up at him - was all that he wanted to think about. 
> 
> “I don’t know,” Gabriel replied timidly, his eyes darting around.
> 
> Sam moved his hand to brush the hair from Gabriel’s face, letting it rest against his cheek. He’d recognized the tell-tale eye movements as a marker of a conscious lie. “Talk to me. You’re gonna have to talk to Benny, anyway. Maybe it’ll get easier the more you talk about it.”
> 
> Silence fell for a few moments while Gabriel tried to piece together the sparse memories he had of his attack. Sam watched for every expression on the other man’s face, no matter how slight or small. 
> 
> Finally, Gabriel seemed ready to talk. He opened his mouth, but instead of words, sobs came out. Sam bolted upright, moving quickly to sit on the bed next to him, making sure not to pull or damage any tubes or wires, and held him as tightly as he could while Gabriel just sobbed into his chest. 
> 
> “I don’t know why I’m crying like this,” Gabriel said in between sobs. “I’m a cop, for fuck’s sake; I should be tougher than this! I’ve been shot at!” 
> 
> Sam burst out laughing. “I’m sorry. I’m not laughing at you. It’s just - you’re the only person in the world who’d consider being shot at as a feat to be recognized.”
> 
> A second later Gabriel followed with the laughter, before they both went silent again. 
> 
> It was Gabriel who broke the silence a few minutes later, finally speaking of the attack. “I barely remember anything. I was unlocking my car when I was jumped from behind. I saw a reflection in the car window - a masked guy, dressed all in black. Before I could react or reach for my gun, I felt something hit me in the head, pretty freaking hard. I don’t remember much after that.” 
> 
> Sam shuddered slightly at the echoes of his own attack - masked man, head injury - but simply held Gabriel closer. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
> 
> “Me too, Sammich. Me too.”
> 
> Later that morning, when Benny came to get Gabriel’s statement, Sam said goodbye to the detectives and headed for home. Living in the city, Sam had been loath to buy a car, so he generally walked everywhere or took the bus. Dean’s call about Gabriel being injured had been one of the few times Sam wished he’d broken down and bought a vehicle. 
> 
> As things stood, Sam decided to take the bus home. He didn’t feel safe walking the streets alone, even during the daylight hours, and at least the buses had some form of security feed. 
> 
> Thirty minutes and several bus stops later, Sam unlocked his front door and stepped inside. 
> 
> He was immediately accosted by the stench of something dead, and he covered his mouth and nose with his sleeve as he stepped inside. 
> 
> Sam closed the door and inched closer into the living room. His eyes widened at the sight of a dead rat hung from his ceiling fan. He felt bile bubbling in his stomach and making its way to his throat. He gagged a couple of times but had no chance to run to the bathroom. 
> 
> He felt a pair of strong hands grab his hair and pull him back with a force he knew all too well. The person shifted their grip, moving to fling Sam against the front door and chuckling as Sam’s head made a loud  _ thud _ against the wooden surface. 
> 
> Sam felt disoriented, his newest injury coming just inches away from the older one. His vision blurred and doubled, and he felt like he was about to faint. 
> 
> Unfortunately, his attacker had a different plan for him. They rushed towards Sam, grabbing him by the throat and pulling him up so he was barely standing on the tips of his toes. 
> 
> Sam choked, trying his best to gasp for air as he struggled unsuccessfully to escape his attacker’s grip. The lack of oxygen and Sam’s injury made it impossible for the lawyer to escape his attacker’s clutch. 
> 
> The stalker slowly leaned closer to Sam and licked the side of his face through the opening in his ski mask. “You know, you shouldn’t throw yourself at every man that comes your way. People will think you’re a slut.” 
> 
> Sam shuddered in disgust but couldn’t respond. 
> 
> “It’s such a pity,” the man crooned. “I really thought you were different, Sam.” He leaned forward, the change in stance loosening his grip just enough to allow Sam more breath. “I’ve been saving myself for you,” he whispered lustily. 
> 
> Sam tried his best to pull away from his attacker. His face scrunched in disgust at every word the creep uttered.
> 
> The stalker leaned in closer. “Why are you doing this to me, Sammy? I love you, Angel,” he said softly.
> 
> Carefully, Sam drew in a solid breath, feeling his strength return as the oxygen filled his lungs. When the attacker leaned even closer to press his lips to Sam’s neck, Sam used every bit of his strength to shove the attacker away. 
> 
> Without waiting to see where he landed, Sam turned around, opened the door and started running. He heard a crash behind him, but he didn’t slow until he reached the street. 
> 
> Once outside, he stopped to catch his breath. He didn’t feel safe yet, but he had a feeling that his stalker would not follow him onto a busy street in the middle of the day. 
> 
> His heart still pounding, Sam hurried quickly down the street, pulling his phone from his pocket as he went. 
> 
> “Dean? Fuck, Dean, I need- I need you to come get me.” 
> 
> Gabriel watched Sam leave his hospital room, and paid no attention to anything Benny was saying. He sighed when Sam’s figure disappeared from the doorway, the smile fading off his face.
> 
> “-and my mama said she’s sending you her best peach cobbler. Gabe? Gabriel!” 
> 
> Gabriel shook his head to refocus and turned back to Benny. “Sorry, man.”
> 
> Benny rolled his eyes. “No you’re not,  _ cher _ .”
> 
> “No, I am. I should be paying attention to you.”
> 
> “You just got brained, partner. A li’l inattention is excused. Even if we both know it’s  _ just _ an excuse,” the Cajun said with a wink. 
> 
> Gabriel grinned and tilted his head in mute agreement. 
> 
> They finally got down to business, with Benny taking his statement and making notes for the official report.
> 
> Once finished, Benny shook his head in anger. “I should have went with you.”
> 
> “It was an information-gathering visit. There was no need,” Gabriel protested.
> 
> Before he could say anything else, Benny’s phone began to ring. 
> 
> “Officer Lafitte,” he answered. 
> 
> Gabriel watched the tanned skin of Benny’s face turn ashen as he listened, but Benny said nothing for long moments. 
> 
> “Get your asses to the station,  _ now _ ,” he growled. “I’ll meet you there shortly.”
> 
> Gabriel’s stomach dropped. Whatever was going on was  _ not _ good news. “What is it?” he asked after Benny had hung up. 
> 
> Benny wiped a hand over his face before finally turning to Gabriel. “Sam was attacked again.”
> 
> “What?!” Gabriel cried, jolting forward in the bed. Wires pulled tightly at the sudden motion, and his IV nearly came flying from his arm - it was saved only by the excessive tape the nurses had used to secure it. 
> 
> “He’s with Dean now, and they’re heading to the station.” A deep sigh came from the large man. “I’m going to recommend protective services. For the both of you.”
> 
> Gabriel collapsed back onto the bed, weakness overcoming him. “Fuck,” he whispered. A hand landed on his shoulder, drawing his attention. 
> 
> “Gabe, it’s gonna be okay,” Benny promised. 
> 
> Gabriel nodded wearily and watched as Benny walked away, pulling the door to as he went out. Laying his head back, Gabriel closed his eyes and tried not to worry. 
> 
> The excitement of the morning, the retelling of his attack, along with the terror of knowing that Sam was attacked once more had exhausted Gabriel far more than he would have liked to admit. Not five minutes after Benny left, Gabriel dozed off into an uncomfortable sleep, troubled by nightmares.
> 
> A few hours later, he was woken by the terrifying sensation of something covering his mouth and nose. Eyes flying open, his hands reached for the offending thing. His heart went into overdrive.
> 
> Lucifer Milton stood over him, a shit-eating grin on his face. He pulled his hand back and moved it up to ruffle Gabriel’s hair. “What’s up, little bro? Heard you were beaned and got admitted.”
> 
> Gabriel glared. “I see you’ve been in contact with Cas.” The words were snarky, but Gabriel was mostly working on autopilot, still trying to slow his heartbeat and breathing to normal levels. 
> 
> “Oh yeah, the little dweeb thought I’d be concerned.”
> 
> “Of course. Castiel has always been the most  _ human _ of all of us. The rest of us are just all assholes.”
> 
> Lucifer laughed and flopped into a chair. “You got that right. Must be Daddy Dearest’s influence on us. Cassie’s momma must have had better genetics.”
> 
> “Oh fuck you, Luce. Not all of us hate Dad.”
> 
> “No, mostly just me. But that’s okay. I  _ am _ the oldest. He screwed my mom over first, so I get dibs on the hatred.”
> 
> Gabriel rolled his eyes. “You’re such an idiot. Why are you still holding onto that? It’s been thirty years, bro. Be like Elsa and  _ let it go.” _
> 
> “He left us!” Lucifer snarled. 
> 
> “Dude. This is so not the place to get into a pissing match about Dad leaving. Save it for when I’m not hooked up to heart monitors, ‘kay?”
> 
> “Whatever. Asshole.” In a whirl of angst and poorly-hidden rage, Lucifer stormed from the room and slammed the door behind him. 
> 
> Gabriel was left with a mix of anger, disappointment, confusion, and fear of his oldest half-brother. Nothing new, as it was Lucifer’s usual effect on Gabriel. Maybe this time it was a bit more intense, but then again Gabriel was just attacked and, apparently, so was the man he cared about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Gabriel! How did you feel about this chapter?


	5. Chapter Five

> Benny walked into the station to see Sam collapsed in a chair with Dean prowling in front of him like a caged tiger. 
> 
> “What happened?” he demanded as soon as he was in hearing range. 
> 
> Dean stepped closer to him. “He called me, freaking out. Said the guy was in his freaking apartment when he got home from seeing Gabriel. Shoved him, choked him, said some seriously messed up things. He shoved him away and ran out, then he called me to come get him.”
> 
> Benny looked over at Sam, saw the absolute despondency on his face. He knew what Sam was thinking -  _ I’ll never be free; he’ll keep coming after me; this will never end. _ He’d seen and heard it all before. 
> 
> After gently gripping Dean’s shoulder for a moment, Benny stepped around the man to reach Sam. Crouching down in front of him, Benny laid a gentle hand on Sam’s knee.
> 
> “Sam?” he said softly. “Sam, I’m going to speak to the Chief, okay? I’ll be back in a few minutes to speak with you and Dean.”
> 
> Waiting until Sam nodded distractedly, Benny stood and walked with purpose to the office housing his partner’s half-brother. He closed the door behind him and slumped into one of the chairs facing Castiel.
> 
> “I’m not gonna lie, Chief, this just got a whole lot worse,” he said without preamble. “Gabriel is in the hospital, Sam was attacked again. This guy is escalating. I propose we put them in a safehouse.”
> 
> Castiel didn’t even raise his eyes from the papers in front of him, merely reached to the side to grasp a sheet of paper before handing it to Benny. “Already done. I put it in motion when Gabriel was attacked. If the stalker is up for attacking a police officer, we really can’t put anything past them.”
> 
> Benny stared down at the paper in shock at how easy that had been. He was reminded once again of just  _ why _ Castiel had been promoted to Chief so quickly. “Thank you, Chief,” he said solemnly. 
> 
> Finally raising his gaze, Castiel’s hauntingly blue eyes pierced Benny with their intensity. “I’m counting on you to find out who did this to my brother.”
> 
> Benny would be lying if he wasn’t just the tiniest bit scared of his superior at that moment, but he nodded readily and said, “I will.”
> 
> Benny left the Chief’s office, a look of disbelief coloring his face as soon as he closed the door behind him. He held the paper in a tight grip, lost in thought. In the midst of the mess of checking Gabriel into the hospital, worrying about him, taking his statement, and now Sam’s recent attack, he had not had time to deal with his own feelings about this entire situation. His partner - his  _ best friend _ \- was attacked and now he was going to have to solve this case without him.
> 
> Dean noticed the distressed look on Benny’s face. He made sure Sam was okay by himself for a minute and walked over to Benny. “Are you okay there, buddy?”
> 
> Inexplicable tears formed in Benny’s eyes at Dean’s question, though Benny carefully blinked them away. In this entire mess, no one had even bothered to ask him that, not even the Chief - which was unlike him, but considering the circumstances, Benny wasn’t blaming him.
> 
> When Dean saw the tears in Benny’s eyes, he took him by the elbow and guided him to the side, somewhere more private than the middle of bullpit. “What’s wrong, Benny?”
> 
> “Nothing,  _ cher.  _ It’s nothing.”
> 
> “Nothing my ass. Spit it out!” Dean crossed his arms and stared Benny down.
> 
> Benny did a proper belly laugh at Dean’s body language, very much resembling a mother scolding her son. “You’re a precious one, Dean Winchester.”
> 
> Dean’s face turned red at the compliment, but he soon remembered their topic of discussion. “Hey! Don’t try to change the subject. What’s wrong?”
> 
> “I’m really worried about Gabe. And Sam. I suggested a safehouse for both of them to the Chief and he agreed.” Benny paused for a moment to compose himself before he continued. “And I don’t want to sound selfish, but I don’t want to work on this case alone,” he finally blurted out.
> 
> Dean took a deep breath and relaxed his posture. He raised a hand to rest it on Benny’s shoulder, “Look, I understand. I’m dead worried about Sam too. The safehouse sounds like a good plan. At least we know they’d be safe.” He let his words sink in, making sure to meet Benny’s eyes before he smiled and continued, “And you won’t be working on this case alone. Whether you want it or not, I’m gonna be in this station every morning with pastries and good coffee.”
> 
> Benny smiled back. “I’d love that, Dean.”
> 
>  
> 
> Within twenty-four hours, Sam and Gabriel were both safely ensconced in a safehouse on the outskirts of town. Sam’s work was notified, pulling him from active cases. Gabriel was put on paid leave until the case was solved. Uniformed officers escorted them both to their respective homes to pack a bag of personal items and clothes before they were taken on a long and circuitous route to what looked like an abandoned hunting cabin and dropped off with few words said.
> 
> As the two stood just inside the small cabin, awkwardness filled the air. Sam was unsure how to deal with being cooped up for the foreseeable future with someone he very obviously had a crush on, while Gabriel was unsure how he was going to keep himself from giving into his heart’s demands toward Sam. 
> 
> They dropped their bags in the living area and separated to explore. Sam found the kitchen, pantry, and what he assumed to be a cold-storage room for game meats. Gabriel wandered through the three bedrooms and the single bathroom, ending back in the living room moments after Sam.
> 
> As they chose their rooms and settled in, things seemed to become easier and less awkward. Sam kept to his room for a long while, telling himself not to think too much into the situation, not to have the idea of some sappy rom-com where the leads were trapped in a cabin together and fall hopelessly in love. 
> 
> In the living room, Gabriel’s thoughts ran much along the same vein.
> 
> Across the county, Benny sat as his desk and reviewed the case files. At Gabriel’s desk sat Dean, doing the same. It wasn’t technically  _ legal _ for the victim’s brother to be working the case with him, but Castiel had given them permission to do whatever necessary to solve both Sam’s case and Gabriel’s attack. 
> 
> “I just don’t understand it,” Dean said suddenly. “Why wouldn’t Sam tell me about all this?” Hurt colored his tone.
> 
> “Don’t get too upset,  _ cher,” _ Benny comforted him. “Sam seems like someone who doesn’t ask for help too often. And most stalking victims don’t realize it’s serious until it becomes escalated.”
> 
> “That’s another thing I don’t understand. Why Sam? What could Sam have done to attract this guy’s attention? He’s the most low-key guy I know.”
> 
> Benny smiled tightly and waved to the paperwork in front of them. “That’s what we’re trying to find out, my friend.”
> 
> The first few days in the safehouse were spent walking on eggshells, trying not to cross lines or come across too strong.
> 
> Finally, after an incident that involved cooking, Sam, and the humiliation of burnt...everything, things levelled out and the two men suddenly dropped into a much more comfortable dynamic. They cooked together - “Sam, after last time, you’re never cooking alone again. Obviously you can’t be trusted in a kitchen.” - working seamlessly and with much laughter. Conversation flowed freely while they ate - Sam learned about Gabriel’s absentee father, and why he and Cas were so close; Gabriel learned about Sam’s own alcoholic father and his and Dean’s tumultuous childhood.
> 
> The second day of their stay, Gabriel had found a stash of DVDs in a cleverly disguised compartment of the entertainment center. After that, the two had begun working their way through the impressive collection. The previous inhabitants had apparently been OCD, as the DVDs were in alphabetical order. 
> 
> They were up to the letter B in movies watched.
> 
> Some movies were skipped due to the obvious - Fatal Attraction, Obsessed, and the aptly-named Stalker had been discarded during the initial perusal. 
> 
> Other movies had Sam biting his lip and wishing they had picked another one. Sappy movies, the ones that made you believe anything was possible and love at first sight was how things were supposed to go. He was still attracted to Gabriel - living together hadn’t cured him of that. If anything, it was deepening into a stronger feeling. Now that Sam knew the little things about Gabriel - how he took his coffee, that he was most definitely  _ not _ a morning person, his tendency to roam around in naught but boxers and a white tank, the fact that he  _ snored _ \- it was harder than ever to push his feelings aside. 
> 
> In the end, Sam bit his tongue and let the moments pass. He knew logically that Gabriel was right, that they needed to make this case airtight and not give anyone reason to doubt the validity of any evidence. Didn’t mean he liked it.
> 
> As for Gabriel, he was feeling as though he were being  _ tortured  _ by Sam’s constant presence. The mere breath that tall excuse of a man took was agony. Every time Sam sighed, Gabriel felt his insides knotting. The cooking was one thing, but the movies were a whole different level. 
> 
> Sam just  _ had  _ to cuddle up into a blanket every time they put on a movie, with a cup of cocoa, his hair flopping down as he slid further and further down the couch, transforming his large figure into a mockery of childlike innocence. He nuzzled up to his cocoa, deeply inhaling the scent of it every couple of minutes and producing the most erotic sounds Gabriel had ever heard coming from a man’s throat. Moreover, as if that imagery and the sounds were not enough, by the end of the movie, Sam would always lay his head on Gabriel’s shoulder for support, delivering the final blow to the shorter man’s fragile heart. 
> 
> Finally, whenever the movie ended, the two men would retire to their bedrooms -  each to have their fantasies of the other, hoping that the next day they would both wake up without this weight on their hearts. Every day, they were sorely disappointed. One day, desperate for a change in the monotony, Sam resorted to using the “Emergencies only” line to call his brother.
> 
> Dean sighed as he flipped another page in Sam’s file. In the weeks that his brother had been secreted away, Dean had felt so  _ useless _ to Benny. There was nothing he could add that hadn’t already been hashed out multiple times. The attraction he felt for the other man didn’t help with the disappointment he was feeling. He wanted to break the case, have something worthwhile to offer to make Benny look at him like…
> 
> Well, like Gabriel looked at Sam.
> 
> Benny was always quick to reassure him, telling him that a fresh set of eyes was never a bad thing, but Dean was still irritated with his own lack of progress. 
> 
> (Benny was just glad for Dean’s company. He always had a smart-ass comment for whatever situation came up, and Benny’d nearly busted a gut laughing multiple times, which helped breathe some life into his melancholic attitude.)
> 
> A small commotion suddenly drew Dean’s attention to the Chief’s office. A blonde man stood inside, the door still open and allowing the louder bits of their conversation to reach Dean and Benny. 
> 
> “...concerned about him!”
> 
> “I said  _ no, _ Lucifer.” Cas’ tone was unyieldingly firm. 
> 
> A few moments later, the blonde man stormed from the building, a furious look on his face. 
> 
> Dean turned to Benny. “Who was that?” he asked wide-eyed. In the few weeks he’d been using Gabriel’s desk he’d never known  _ anyone _ to raise their voice at Cas. 
> 
> Benny rolled his eyes. “Lucifer. Gabe and Cas’ half-brother. He’s an ass.”
> 
> His brow furrowing in concentration, Dean tried to place the man. “He looks really familiar,” he said a moment later, his tone thoughtful.
> 
> “Well, he is related to two men that you know,  _ cher. _ Probably just shares some features or something.”
> 
> Dean stared at the door Lucifer had exited, his voice distracted as he murmured, “Or something.” The nagging feeling still persisted, despite Benny’s reassurances.
> 
> With a sigh, Dean turned his attention back to the files in front of him, trying not to blush at the continuance of Benny calling him the Cajun word for  _ sweetheart. _
> 
> A while later, Dean’s cell phone began to ring. He answered it, not expecting to hear Sam’s voice on the other end. “Sam? Is everything okay?”
> 
> Benny was instantly alert, focused on Dean and the conversation. 
> 
> _ “Dude, it’s fine. I just need a favor. Any chance you could send me a few books? There’s nothing to read up here, and I desperately need a distraction.” _
> 
> Dean looked at Benny and repeated the question, seeing how the other man’s shoulders relaxed when it was obvious nothing was wrong. “Benny says it’s fine. Anything you want in particular?”
> 
> _ “No, just anything from my bookshelf in my office at home.” _
> 
> “I’ll get it to you,” Dean promised. 
> 
> _ “Thanks, Dean.” _
> 
> After they’d hung up, Dean let out a loud breath and slumped back in his chair. “Well that was a mini heart attack,” he said, trying to make light of it.
> 
> Benny nodded in agreement, already reaching for the paperwork to have a delivery made to the cabin. “I don’t imagine it’s easy, them being stuck together like this.”
> 
> Dean sighed and scrubbed his hands over his face. “I wish he could just go for it, make that leap,” he said wistfully, only mostly talking about Sam. “But I get that fraternization while on such a big case would be a bad thing.”
> 
> Like a bolt of lightning, it hit Benny that maybe his attraction wasn’t one-sided. But, he realized, Dean was right. He couldn’t make a move while the case was still active. After, though?  _ “It’s gonna be on like white on rice,”  _ he thought with a slightly feral grin. 
> 
> The grin stayed on his face for a long while, until he could sufficiently distract himself once more. During that time, Dean could barely stop looking at the larger man. Every time he caught sight of the slightly-sinister smile, heat flared low in his belly. It took a long time to force himself to stop glancing up. 
> 
> With an internal sigh, Dean hoped that this would be over soon. He wasn’t sure how long he could keep his hands to himself.
> 
> Later, after they’d called it a day, Dean swung by Sam’s apartment. Thankfully, the place was empty. He headed to Sam’s office, grabbing a few books at random and setting them in a pile on the desk. As he studied the rest of the books, one in particular drew his eye - Sam’s yearbook from his first year in the Law program. 
> 
> Something prompted Dean to pull the book from the shelf, flipping pages until he reached Sam’s class. He smiled fondly at the pictures that included his brother, especially the associations he was in - The Stanford International Human Rights Law Association and the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund. 
> 
> Somewhere around the middle of the book, he found a picture that was all too generic - a bunch of students sitting on the lawn and studying, looking like they were having the time of their lives. Dean was ready to flip that page when he noticed a very familiar face in the midst of those students.
> 
> “Son of a bitch!” he exclaimed to himself, snapping the book closed and bolting from the apartment in a hurry, leaving behind the books that Sam had asked for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think Dean found in Sam's yearbook?


	6. Chapter Six

> Sleeping peacefully, Gabriel was abruptly woken up by Sam’s panicked yells across the hall. On his feet and out the door before he’d truly come awake, Gabriel threw open Sam’s door and stopped abruptly at the sight of the other man thrashing around in his bed. Laying his pistol on Sam’s dresser, Gabriel hurried forward to shake Sam awake. 
> 
> “Sam, wake up. Come on, sweetheart, it’s just a nightmare.” Gabriel shook Sam slightly as he spoke, trying to jar him into waking up. 
> 
> With a sudden gasp, Sam woke up, instantly recoiling from the figure posed above him. A moment later, Gabriel’s face came into the moonlight streaming through the window. Relief surged through Sam, leaving him slumped across the bed.
> 
> “Hey,” Gabriel said softly, “are you okay?”
> 
> Still a bit jazzed on adrenaline, Sam could only nod, letting himself relax further into the mattress. 
> 
> Gabriel leaned forward, his hand coming up to brush the sweat-dampened hair from Sam’s brow. “Want me to stay?” he asked gently.
> 
> After a moment of hesitation, Sam nodded and scooted over to give Gabriel room to lie down. 
> 
> The images from Sam’s nightmare felt like they were imprinted on his eyelids. Every time he tried closing his eyes, he saw the dark figure who had attacked him and felt his tongue lapping at his ear. Sam felt his ears heating up, almost like his stalker’s tongue was made of fire. 
> 
> “I can’t- I can’t go back to sleep.” Sam sat upright and crossed his legs. He turned his head to look at Gabriel. The other man was looking back with worry coloring his face. 
> 
> Gabriel adjusted the pillow to support his back and sat up against the bed’s headboard. “We don’t have to sleep. Do you wanna talk about your dream?”
> 
> Sam shook his head. He looked down at his hands for a long while, trying to still the slight tremors. “Why me? I don’t understand. I’ve never hurt anyone in my life. I just want this to be over. I want this to be a nightmare that I wake up from and everything will be fine. Why can’t it just be a dream?” Sam’s voice cracked towards the end as tears started falling from his eyes. 
> 
> Gabriel felt helplessness wash over him. He’d promised to help Sam but instead, he was attacked himself. And now, Sam was locked with him in this safehouse. Helpless once more to ease Sam’s pain and stop his tears, Gabriel sat frozen beside Sam. “I don’t know what to tell you, Sam. I promised you to get this guy and instead, I got you locked up in this place with a useless cop. I’m so sorry.” Frustrated tears welled in his eyes, but Gabriel refused to let them fall. 
> 
> Upon hearing those words coming out of Gabriel’s mouth, Sam immediately turned to face him, shifting his entire body. “Don’t say that! You’re not useless. I’ve worked with a lot of cops, and you’re one of the best I’ve met.” Sam smiled tremulously and reached up to cup Gabriel's cheek, his thumb brushing away the tear that clung to his lashes. When Gabriel instinctively leaned into Sam’s touch, the taller man felt a jolt of electricity shocking his insides.
> 
> Gabriel unconsciously leaned into Sam’s touch, relishing the contact. When he realized he was all but rubbing his face into the other man’s hand, a blush lit his face, but he didn’t pull away. Instead, he met Sam’s gaze and turned his head to press a kiss to Sam’s wrist.
> 
> Fire seemed to lick at the place where Gabriel’s lips met his skin, but it wasn’t like his dream of the stalker. This flame was warm and heady, causing desire to swirl through him in a dizzy storm. Sam’s breath caught at the immediate and powerful reaction to such a small gesture. 
> 
> He wanted  _ more. _
> 
> Sam leaned forward, eyes tracking between Gabriel’s as he went. He saw trepidation, but there was no fear in the other man’s eyes. Just before their lips met, Gabriel’s hand landed on Sam’s chest. Terrified he was going to push him away again, Sam froze. 
> 
> Gabriel, however, simply tightened his fist in Sam’s shirt, a strangled sound escaping his throat. 
> 
> Sam grinned, his eyes closing as he finally eliminated the distance still between them. 
> 
> Their lips met in a hesitating press, but it was perfect to Sam. After a moment of finding their way, of readjusting and awkward laughter, the two were stretched out on Sam’s bed, facing each other and enjoying the lazy kisses they were sharing. 
> 
> As the adrenaline from Sam’s nightmare wore off and the warmth of their desire washed over them, they both began to realize what a precarious position they were in. 
> 
> Sam’s knee was between Gabriel’s thighs, Gabriel’s hand was still tangled in Sam’s shirt, and both were more than a bit turned on. Sam refused to blush when Gabriel’s eyes trailed down his body, lingering on the noticeable erection pressing against his pajama bottoms.
> 
> Gabriel guided his gaze up, licking his lips at the sight of the visible veins in Sam’s neck. He tried to move up in an attempt to lick at those veins, only to stumble when his hand got stuck further in Sam’s shirt, causing the taller man to jolt and knee him in the nuts. Gabriel gasped as pain shot through his groin and lower abdomen, taking his breath and causing him to automatically curl forward, his forehead connecting with Sam’s as he headbutted him by accident.
> 
> Sam fell flat on his back, his hands instinctively went up to protect his face. “Jesus Christ!”
> 
> Gabriel fell to his side, unable to form words yet as the pain in his groin continued to radiate from his abused balls. He cupped his crotch and curled forward, moaning in pain. “Pain. Ouch. Kids. Gone.”
> 
> Sam choked on a laugh, commiserating but still finding the words funny. “Are you okay?” he asked.
> 
> A miserable moan was his reply.
> 
> Still trying not to laugh, Sam turned back onto his side and reached out to lay his hand on Gabriel’s chest, slowly trailing it down to cover Gabriel’s hands, still cupped protectively over his aching crotch. “Want me to take the pain away?” he asked softly, his meaning more than clear. 
> 
> Gabriel’s breath caught for a different reason as the words sank in. He debated, gently moving his hands to see how bad the ache still was. Shrugging internally, he turned to Sam and wiggled his eyebrows in a leer. “You can try.”
> 
> Sam grinned and tugged Gabriel’s hands away, rolling further to cover the shorter man. His tall frame meant that the situation would undoubtedly get awkward, but Sam felt that it would be well worth it. He knelt over Gabriel, watching his amber eyes turn molten with need. “I’ll make you feel better,” he promised with a smirk.
> 
> Quirking a brow, Gabriel snorted. “We’ll see,” he challenged.
> 
> Without replying, Sam crawled down Gabriel’s body, nuzzling as he went. Gabriel had never been more glad that he slept sans shirt when Sam’s warm lips trailed down his bare chest. When Sam reached the waistband of his pants, he bypassed the elastic and instead kept moving down until he could gently mouth at the growing erection he found there. 
> 
> Gabriel moaned at the sensation his hands coming down to brush over Sam’s hair. Sam took the encouragement and began to tug at Gabriel’s pants, heat washing through him anew as he realized that Gabriel wasn’t wearing underwear.
> 
> Sam moaned in pleasure, impatience overtaking him. He yanked the pajamas the rest of the way down, flinging them across the room. His focus zeroed in on the luscious body laid out before him. 
> 
> Nearly panting with anticipation, Gabriel reached toward Sam once more, his hands having lost contact with Sam’s hair when the other man tugged his pants away. “Take yours off, too,” he near-begged, desperate to see Sam as Sam was seeing him. 
> 
> Sam immediately took to the suggestion, reaching to grasp the back of his shirt and tug it over his shoulders. He stood a moment later to slip his pants off, revelling in the gasp he heard from the bed. 
> 
> “You’re perfect,” Gabriel said, his tone a mix between a whisper and a moan.
> 
> Sam smirked and pushed his boxers down, revealing the rest of his body and all but laughing at the lustful moan that escaped Gabriel. He climbed back on the bed, slowly crawling towards Gabriel. His eyes had turned a shade darker with lust as he inspected Gabriel’s body inch by inch.
> 
> Gabriel could barely keep himself composed. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears while his erection grew harder and precum beaded from the tip. He licked his lips in anticipation, bracing himself for Sam’s lips and the warmth of his mouth.
> 
> Sam leisurely kissed his way up Gabriel’s body, nudging his knees apart to make room as he licked along his thighs and nibbled at the flesh between his hip and his thigh. He was touching and licking and biting everywhere but Gabriel’s cock. Finally, Sam decided to ease off the torture and he licked a long stripe from Gabriel’s balls all the way up to the tip of his shaft.
> 
> Gabriel was surprised and jolted in his shock, his cock breaching Sam’s lips as his hips moved upward. Sam nearly choked, but he was able to move backward enough to keep his lips on Gabriel without the length being shoved down his throat.
> 
> Sam reached up and held Gabriel’s thighs down, keeping the shorter man from moving. It wasn’t the easiest of tasks, considering that Gabriel squirmed with each touch. Once he had a tight grip on Gabriel, Sam wrapped his lips around his cock and in one fell swoop took in the entire length of it.
> 
> Gabriel tried to squirm and tried to grab at Sam’s hair, but changed his mind at the last moment, not wanting to start yanking on Sam’s head like an asshole. Instead, he reached for the sheets and tightened his grip on them, moaning as loudly as he could. “Fucking hell, Sam! Oh, God! What are you doing to me?”
> 
> Sam smirked around Gabriel’s length and continued his motions, making sure his tongue brushed every inch of Gabriel’s cock. Sam pulled back, making a popping noise as Gabriel’s cock left his mouth. He sat back on his knees and looked down at the disheveled man in front of him.
> 
> “No! Where did you go? Please come back!” Gabriel begged. He tried to reach up and grab at him, but Sam still had him pinned down by the hips. Sam bent down once more, licking trails back and forth from the sensitive flesh between Gabriel’s erection and thighs up to his hip bones.  After torturing Gabriel this way for a few minutes, he gripped the base of Gabriel’s erection, pulling back the extra skin, and revealing the sensitive tip. Sam bent over and licked the beads of precum that welled up from the exposed slit, dragging a guttural moan out of Gabriel.
> 
> Gabriel let out a frustrated noise as Sam pulled away again, finally overpowering Sam to knock his arms away and grasp his face. He used his hold to drag Sam upwards into a heated kiss. Throwing himself backward, Gabriel landed on his back once more. Sam had no choice but to follow, landing with a grunt as their chests collided. Gabriel’s legs came up around Sam’s waist, holding tightly to the other man as their erections brushed for the first time.
> 
> Sam moaned into Gabriel’s mouth, sending a shiver down the other man’s spine. They writhed against each other for a while as Sam deepened the kiss, pushing his tongue further into Gabriel’s mouth. Both men moaned as the mixture of their sweat and precum allowed for better friction. 
> 
> Sam pulled away from the kiss and moved his lips to Gabriel’s neck, nibbling at the tender flesh between his neck and shoulder. When he finally reached Gabriel’s ear, he whispered “I want you to fuck me. I want you inside me, buried as deep as fucking possible, fucking me so good I’ll never be the same.”
> 
> “Fuck, Sam!” Gabriel exclaimed, throwing his head back as pure need washed through him. Throwing his weight forward, he knocked Sam back and to the side so he could straddle him. As he stared down at him, Gabriel felt - along with the lust - such an outpouring of love that it nearly took his breath. 
> 
> Instead, he began his own trail down Sam’s body, echoing what Sam had done to him earlier. When he reached the level of Sam’s cock, he wasted no time in taking it into his mouth, as far to the base as he could. Sam’s gasping moans above him spurred him on, using every trick he’d ever learned and learning a few more based on Sam’s reactions. Somewhere in the midst, he began to work Sam’s entrance loose, using some lube that Sam had urgently shoved at him. 
> 
> When Sam was reduced to a stuttering mess, tossing his head back and forth on the bed, Gabriel relented and pulled away. He quickly rolled a condom onto himself and slicked the rubber with more lubricant before moving closer to press against the spot between Sam’s ass and his balls. 
> 
> The close contact - so close to where he wanted but also pressing on something  _ good _ \- had Sam moaning once more. “In me,” he said. 
> 
> Gabriel couldn’t tell if it was a plea or a demand, but he had no intentions of making Sam ask twice. He repositioned and pressed slowly inside, gritting his teeth as his balls tightened and threatened to burst.  _ “Can’t come, can’t come, can’t come. Fuck, gotta last.” _
> 
> “Is everything okay?” Sam asked, his brow furrowed in worry. He cupped Gabriel’s face, pushing the hairs that stuck to his forehead back.
> 
> Gabriel took a deep breath. “Yeah, yeah. Just need to slow it down, babe. Don’t want to pull a teenager act on you,” he said with a bark of laughter, only mostly joking.
> 
> Sam smiled and pulled Gabriel’s face down. He planted a soft kiss on his lips, making sure not to get too passionate and edge Gabriel closer to the finish line. Seconds later, he pulled away from the kiss, much to Gabriel’s dismay, and stared lovingly into the amber eyes that stared back at him. 
> 
> “You’re too perfect.” Sam felt a rush of love invading his insides. He had only read about this sort of feeling in books and stories, even those cheesy harlequin novels. He never thought that he could ever feel anything close to that, not him, not the cursed Sam Winchester.
> 
> Gabriel tried his damnedest not to blush, but he was only human. As a counteraction to his heart melting, he bent down and crushed his lips to Sam’s. The kiss was sloppy but sexy and passionate, and it got both of them stimulated once more.
> 
> Sam couldn’t keep still and he started writhing under Gabriel, bucking his hips and trying to push Gabriel’s cock further inside. When Gabriel’s cockhead brushed against his prostate for the first time, he cried out in pleasure, throwing his head back into the pillow. He dug his heels into Gabriel’s back, trying to keep the other man from pulling out. Simultaneously, he buried his nails in Gabriel’s shoulders, drawing a painful moan out of him.
> 
> “Holy shit! Slow down, Sammy!” Gabriel’s own mixed pain/pleasure was overwhelming him. He wanted more, but couldn’t be sure that he wouldn’t burst right then and there. 
> 
> Sam shook his head. “No. No more waiting. Need you. Now!” He continued his motions, snapping his hips harder, trying different angles in order to find the right one.
> 
> Gabriel looked down at the man under him, so immersed in pleasure and demanding more. _ “Fine!”  _ He pulled back from Sam, as much as the bigger man allowed him to, and repositioned himself to kneel in front of Sam. He lifted Sam’s hips off the bed, resting them on his thighs, and used both hands to hold the other man down.
> 
> As soon as Gabriel started to move, his cock brushed Sam’s prostate and causing him to moan out, flailing on the bed like a fish out of water. The reaction goaded Gabriel into keeping that exact angle every time he thrusted. The fact that Sam tightened his hole each time his prostate was grazed wasn’t too bad of a reaction either.
> 
> “Faster! Harder! Come on, Gabe!” Sam ordered.
> 
> Gabriel smirked. “Needy little bottom, aren’t you?” He dug his knees into the bed and started thrusting as fast and hard as he possibly could. It didn’t matter anymore how quickly he came as long as he gave Sam what he wanted. Nothing mattered anymore except making Sam happy. Not now in bed, not later in life. Gabriel had finally found his purpose in life; making Sam happy.
> 
> Sam moaned, flailed, clung at sheets and yelled out in gibberish before finding his voice and crying out, “Shut up and fuck me!”
> 
> Gabriel bit his lip and swallowed hard. He could feel his balls tightening, the warmth in his belly that preluded an orgasm, but he needed Sam to come first. He moved his right arm from Sam’s hip to his cock in an attempt to jack him off, but it was a little dry.
> 
> “I need lube.”
> 
> Sam fumbled around trying to feel for the bottle until he eventually found it and squeezed a fair amount onto Gabriel’s hand. “Make me come. Fuck me good and make me come, baby.”
> 
> “God, you’re such a demanding bottom!” Gabriel smirked. He wrapped his hand around Sam’s cock, stroking it slowly as he fucked into him as hard as he could. With every forward motion of his hips, he bottomed out, balls brushing Sam’s ass with every stroke. When he pulled back, he made sure to draw nearly completely out of Sam’s body, only leaving the head of his cock inside and feeling absolutely wrecked at the sensations of Sam tightening around the sensitive head. 
> 
> “Gabe! Stop fucking around and make me come! Please!” Sam demanded, a hint of a plea hidden in his heretofore commanding demeanour.
> 
> Gabriel laughed. “Is that begging I heard? Why, Sammy, don’t get soft on me now.” Gabriel continued working his slow strokes on Sam’s cock, while pulling out of Sam’s body. He couldn’t help it, he’d always been a tease.
> 
> Sam, having finally grown frustrated, pulled Gabriel’s hand away from his cock and started stroking it himself. He couldn’t take the teasing anymore. He needed his release and he needed it  _ now _ . 
> 
> With a frustrated grunt, Gabriel pushed Sam’s hand out of the way and pinned it down on the bed. “Mine!” He bottomed out harshly, drawing a guttural moan out of Sam, while he stroked Sam’s cock faster. 
> 
> It took three or four thrusts with matching strokes before both men were speaking in tongues. Gabriel toppled over Sam, out of breath and out of energy. They stayed in the same position for a few minutes; Sam sprawled on the bed, his legs akimbo, and Gabriel on top of him, barely able to move.
> 
> When they both regained feeling in their bodies, Gabriel helped Sam clean up before they curled up in bed together. “So, question: where did that lube and condom come from? Because I mean, when I’m sent to a safe house, the last thing on my mind is sex and its accessories.” Gabriel quirked a brow waiting for Sam’s reply.
> 
> Sam mumbled something under his breath, which Gabriel definitely heard but he needed to tease the other man. “Say again? I’m a bit hard of hearing.”
> 
> “I kinda hoped something like this would happen. Okay?” Sam finally spoke up, blush creeping up all over his face.
> 
> Gabriel grinned wide. “You naughty, naughty man.” He kissed Sam’s cheek while the other man swatted him away. “Now do you wanna be the big spoon or the little spoon?”
> 
> “Little, please.”
> 
> Gabriel smiled softly, asking himself what good he could have done to deserve such a man. “Whatever makes you happy.”
> 
> The two men fell asleep within minutes of cuddling, Sam’s nightmare long forgotten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Angst and smut are Meg and I's specialties ;)  
> Did you like it? Let us know.


	7. Chapter Seven

> When Sam woke the next morning, he couldn’t explain the happiness that bubbled up before his eyes had even opened. 
> 
> As he came fully awake and felt the arm around his waist and the head resting on his chest, the reason was more than evident. A warm feeling spread throughout his chest as Sam reached up to run his fingers through Gabriel’s hair. 
> 
> He felt Gabriel’s lips on his skin a few moments later, the heat from his lips lighting a fire inside of Sam. A smile tugged at his lips as he stretched slightly. “Good morning,” he said. 
> 
> Gabriel took him by surprise a moment later by moving to straddle him, staring down at him with a wide grin. “Good morning,” he returned. 
> 
> Sam’s hands came to rest on Gabriel’s hips, pupils blown out as he stared up at the other man. “Gabriel?” he asked, wondering if this was going where he thought it might be going. Heat began to curl in his belly.
> 
> “Don’t get too excited, Sammich. You’re tall and this is easier,” he explained, scooting further up Sam’s abdomen until he could reach Sam’s face. “Didn’t mean to tease.”
> 
> Their lips met gently, but the gentleness didn’t last long. They warred with lips and tongue, each trying to gain the upper hand. Gabriel nipped at Sam’s bottom lip, drawing a gasp and a moan from him. 
> 
> Sam had never felt so wrecked from just  _ kissing _ before. But he knew now from experience that Gabriel was good at wrecking him.
> 
> They made out for a long while, coming up for air every once in a while. Finally, Sam pushed Gabriel onto the bed beside him, needing a break before he was tempted to repeat the night before. “You’re a really good kisser,” Sam complimented him. 
> 
> Gabriel laughed and trailed his fingers up and down Sam’s torso. “You’re not half bad yourself, Angel.”
> 
> Sam froze, his heart screeching to a halt in his chest before taking off like a runaway train. “What...what did you call me?” he whispered, voice wavering.
> 
> Gabriel tilted his head to the side. “Angel?” he repeated. 
> 
> Sam was up and across the room a moment later, beelining for the pistol that he had seen on the dresser. He swung around and aimed it in Gabriel’s direction, trembling from emotion.
> 
> “What the fuck, Sam?!” Gabriel demanded, his blood like ice in his veins from the sudden rush of adrenaline.
> 
> “Is it you?” Sam bit out, trying not to let himself freak out too much. It was a useless endeavor, though, as his heart continued to pound and his vision grew blurry.
> 
> “Is what me? Sam, what is going on?” Genuinely baffled by the new development, Gabriel sat with his hands up and tried to figure out what was going on.
> 
> “Are you  _ him? _ Have you been toying with me this whole time?” Desperation made Sam’s voice crack as the overwhelming fear and despair washed over him.
> 
> “Sam, I seriously have no idea what you’re talking about. Put the gun down, and we can discuss this like adults.” His voice even, Gabriel tried to talk Sam down. 
> 
> Sam was too far gone to hear Gabriel’s words. He barreled on, unable to stop the words coming from his mouth. “Did you get off on it? Helping stalking victims, knowing you were doing the same thing? Did you finally get tired of hiding in the shadows and decide to come out in the open, you sick sonofabitch?”
> 
> Anger clouded Gabriel’s face. “Sam, I need you to put the fucking gun down. I don’t know what the everloving  _ fuck _ has gotten into you, but you are way off-base here, and it’s pissing me off.”
> 
> “Pissing  _ you _ off?” Sam cried. “I just realized that the man I’m falling in love with is my stalker!”
> 
> Gabriel sat, frozen in shock at Sam’s words. He wasn’t sure which revelation shocked him more, that Sam was falling in love with him or that Sam thought he was the stalker. “Sam, why do you think I’m your stalker?” he asked slowly, tackling the most relevant issue first.
> 
> Sam had calmed a bit since he’d first taken up the gun, seeing Gabriel stay in his place on the bed without making any moves to come closer. He stared hard at Gabriel and tried to understand why the other man would lie to him like this. “You… You called me Angel?” he said, confusion coloring his tone. Had he made a mistake?
> 
> “Sam,” Gabriel began patiently, “that’s a petname that my dad used to call my mom. It’s why they named me after an angel. And she would call me that as a kid, at least before he left us. Turned out to be a common petname that he uses, because all of my siblings have angel names.”
> 
> “O-other siblings? Not just Cas?”
> 
> “I have six other brothers and sisters. Anna’s the youngest, then Cas, Hannah, me, Raphael, Michael, with Lucifer as the oldest.”
> 
> Sam’s face lost all its color. “Lucifer?” he whispered, horrified.
> 
> “Yeah?” Gabriel said, not understanding the sudden change.
> 
> “I...knew a Lucifer back in Law school. I went on a couple of dates with him, but after a while I ended it. I was getting too distracted from school. He’d always...seemed kinda off, and he didn’t seem to take the breakup that well.” Sam started to relax a little, the tension in his shoulders fading away. He lowered the gun and leaned back against the wall.
> 
> “How do you know it was my brother Lucifer?”
> 
> Sam raised an eyebrow. “How many Lucifers in the world do  _ you  _ know?”
> 
> Gabriel went quiet for a moment. The tension he was feeling before became magnified as the possibility of this stalker being his brother became bigger. His face suddenly morphed into a broken realisation.
> 
> “He came to visit me at the hospital after my attack. I hadn’t seen him for  _ years  _ and then suddenly he showed up at my bedside the day I get attacked.” Gabriel’s hand covered his mouth in agitation as more memories of his attack started coming back to him. 
> 
> “When I was attacked, after the guy...fuck, after  _ Lucifer _ hit me in the head, I fell to the ground. He leaned down next to me and whispered in my ear, ‘We can’t both have him, and I have seniority, punk’.”
> 
> Sam shuddered. The blood in his veins turned cold at hearing Lucifer’s words, even coming from Gabriel’s mouth. A man who would attack his own brother was more dangerous than Sam had assumed him to be. Finally, he laid the gun at the foot of the bed, moving to sit beside Gabriel. 
> 
> The two men sat in silence for a long while, both playing the events of the past couple of months in their heads, trying to figure out if they’d had any chance at identifying Lucifer sooner. Sam jolted when he felt a hand land on his.
> 
> Gabriel immediately snatched his hand away. “Shit, sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
> 
> Sam smiled timidly at Gabriel. “No, it’s okay. I just wasn’t completely here.”
> 
> “Where were you?”
> 
> Sighing, Sam looked up from the floor and met Gabriel’s eyes. “Trying to figure out if there was any way I could have stopped this all those years ago. Back when I went out with him. Maybe if I’d let him down better, or maybe if I never even went out with him. Maybe if I just never even left home. I wouldn’t have gone through all of this, and you wouldn’t have gotten attacked by your own brother.”
> 
> Gabriel slid his hand closer to Sam’s, this time waiting for Sam to give him the okay before making contact. Once Sam nodded his approval, Gabriel grasped his hand and started rubbing circles on the back of it. “Look, Sam. I know my brother, and he’s a determined asshole. There is nothing you could have done to stop him from doing this. If you had said no to a date, he would have stalked you. If you had let him down more gently, he would have stalked you. If you had never moved away, he might have seen you on the bus someday and decided to stalk you. Lucifer is a stubborn bag of dicks, and once he puts his mind to something - or someone - he doesn’t back down. None of this is your fault.”
> 
> Tears started falling on Sam’s cheeks. “Somehow that’s not as reassuring as you might think it is. I know you think that telling me I couldn’t have stopped this, and that none of this is my fault should be comforting, but it’s not. The only thing it proves to me is that I was destined to be this miserable. That I’m cursed. At least if there was something I could have done, or if it was actually my fault, then I’d have someone to blame. What you’re saying just proves that I was born to suffer, and that just sucks balls.” 
> 
> Gabriel inched closer to Sam and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “Shit. I never thought of it that way.”
> 
> “Well, I have. Many times, and for years.” Sam’s voice cracked as he tried to swallow his tears.
> 
> “I’m so, so sorry, Sam. I wish he never existed. I wish my stupid dad was never born.”
> 
> Sam’s gaze met Gabriel’s once more. “Don’t say that. He gave me you.” Sam smiled through his tears and softly nudged Gabriel’s cheek with his nose.
> 
> Gabriel felt his insides tangling into a knot. He stared into Sam’s hazel eyes for a few seconds, relishing the beauty that sat in front of him. He swallowed hard before he closed the space between them and kissed him softly.
> 
> Both men shifted to make the kiss just right. It was gentle, only interrupted when both sighed in happiness at different intervals. 
> 
> Finally, Gabriel broke away. He kissed the tip of Sam’s nose and then his forehead. “We need to call the station and let them know about Lucifer.”
> 
> Brows furrowed, Sam nodded in agreement. For a couple of minutes, he had completely forgotten about that entire ordeal.
> 
> Gabriel got to his feet and headed for the phone on the nightstand. He picked up the handset, then frowned when he found no dial tone. A look of worry passed over his face, though he tried to hide it from Sam. He tried to dial out more than once, but it was useless. The phone was dead.
> 
> “What the _ fuck _ ?” he whispered to himself. 
> 
> Sam’s heart started racing. He just  _ knew _ something horrible was going to happen. “What’s wrong?”
> 
> Gabriel tried his best to look calm. It didn’t work. “The phone is dead.”
> 
> “What? What do you mean it’s  _ dead _ ? We’re in the middle of nowhere with no car! It can’t be dead!” Sam was panicking; he could feel his heart beating quickly, fairly hammering away in his chest. He jumped to his feet and went to check the phone himself, only to get the same result as Gabriel did.
> 
> “Sam, don’t panic. It could be a million things.” Gabriel was just as panicked as Sam was, but his police training had thankfully prepared him for all kinds of situations.
> 
> Sam slammed the phone down into the cradle. “Really? Like what? A squirrel chewed through the phone line? Don’t patronize me, Gabriel!”
> 
> Suddenly a voice came from just outside the room that froze the blood in both men’s veins. 
> 
> “You know, he’s right, Gabey. That was always your worst quality.”
> 
> The first thing the two men saw was the barrel of a shotgun, quickly followed by Lucifer’s grinning face. Gabriel was quick to react, and he immediately grabbed the gun from the bed where Sam had left it.
> 
> “Uh-uh-uh,” Lucifer warned, pointing his shotgun at Sam’s head. “He really is so pretty. It’d be a shame if he lost a nose or an eye or  _ his head _ . Don’t you think, little bro?” 
> 
> Studying his half-brother for a few long seconds, Gabriel finally called his bluff. “You wouldn’t. Somewhere in your sick, twisted mind, you think you love him. You wouldn’t kill him.” With that, he cocked his gun and pointed it at Lucifer.
> 
> Lucifer’s grin grew wider, making him look even creepier than he already did. “Mmmmayyybe you’re right.” Lucifer changed his aim, pointing the shotgun at Sam’s foot instead. “But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t maim him a little. Now, do you feel like playing chicken with me? You always blinked first when we were kids.” 
> 
> Gabriel stared at his brother, then looked back at Sam. The other man was standing silently, staring at Lucifer with horror in his eyes. It broke Gabriel’s heart to see Sam like that. He dropped his hands and put the gun on the bed. “Fine. There.”
> 
> “Oh, come on, Gabey. We’re the same, you and I. We think the same way. Gun on the ground and slide it over.”
> 
> Gabriel’s face contorted in disgust. “I am nothing like you!” he snarled. Even so, he bent over and slid the gun across the floor toward Lucifer.
> 
> Lucifer scoffed and picked up the gun, keeping his own aimed at Sam. “And yet you fell for the same man I fell for. Anyway, enough of the family reunion. Let’s take this into the other room, shall we?”
> 
> Back at the station, Benny was sitting at his desk, reviewing the case file and trying to find any leads that he or Gabriel might have missed. It was less than useful. All they knew was that the suspect was a male, slightly shorter than Sam, and very creepy. Hundreds of people could fit that description. He was on his fifth cup of coffee for the day when Dean came crashing through the door.
> 
> “Woah, what’s gotten into you, friend?” 
> 
> Dean slammed Sam’s college yearbook on Benny’s desk. “I’ve been up all night trying to track Sam’s college roommate. This guy called Kevin.” Dean stopped to catch his breath, still panting from his mad dash to the station. 
> 
> “And?” Benny asked in anticipation, leaning forward in anticipation.
> 
> Barely able to speak, Dean opened the book and flipped through the pages to the one with the photo he had found the night before. The picture of Lucifer in a class photo...with Sam.
> 
> Benny’s eyes widened in shock before he composed himself. “Dean, I agree this is quite a coincidence, but that doesn’t prove anything.” Though he wanted to believe it was a legitimate break in the case, he had to be the voice of reason.
> 
> Dean flipped to the end of the yearbook where people had signed it. “What about this creepy message?” he demanded, stabbing his finger onto the page.
> 
> Benny read through the different messages until he got to the one left by Lucifer. “‘You'll always have a friend in me, Sam. I'll always be there for you’. That’s hardly creepy, Dean. If anything that’s the friendliest thing ever.” 
> 
> Frustration started to bubble under Dean’s skin. He angrily slammed the book shut. “Are you kidding me? Fine! What about Sam’s roommate, who told me that they went on a few dates before Sam dumped him? He said that Sam started feeling like this Lucifer guy was a little more than weird and that’s why he broke it off.”
> 
> Benny sighed and got up from behind his desk. He laid a hand on Dean’s shoulder, only to have the other man shrug it off. “I don’t know,  _ cher _ . I mean, why didn’t Sam mention him to us before if he had those concerns? Or if he suspected him? I can’t just go accusing the Chief of police’s brother without some real, hard evidence.” He hated to play Devil’s advocate, but it was a pretty heavy accusation to throw around.
> 
> “Well Sam is  _ my  _ brother, Benny. And if you won’t do it, then I will.” Dean stormed away with the intention of walking into Castiel’s office alone. He’d reached the chief’s door and was ready to knock when Benny called out to stop him.
> 
> Benny called out to Dean, “Wait! I’m not letting you do this on your own. Come on, let’s go get our heads bitten off.” He stood and adjusted his uniform, tucking and smoothing to look the most professional he could as he accused his boss’ brother of being a stalker.
> 
> Dean smiled fondly at the large Cajun man standing next to him. “You’re a good guy, Benny.” He absolutely did not feel flutters in his belly at the smile the other man sent his way.
> 
> “Been tryin’ to show you that for weeks.” Benny smiled sneakily at Dean and brushed the back of his hand against the tips of Dean’s fingers. Not much else he could do in plain view of all his coworkers.
> 
> Dean’s jaw dropped as the realization that Benny liked him back started to sink in. Before he could react, Benny knocked on Castiel’s door and the order to come inside was barked.
> 
> Castiel sat at his desk, going through what seemed like endless stacks of paperwork. He lifted his eyes just enough to see who it was. “Benny, Dean. Any breakthrough in the case?”
> 
> The two men laid their argument out, explaining to Castiel Dean’s theory of how the stalker could be Lucifer. Benny apologized profusely for accusing the chief’s brother for doing something like this, while Dean insisted that they at least check Lucifer out and see where he was each time an attack happened. 
> 
> Castiel was silent the entire time. He listened to everything that was said and nodded along, barely keeping eye contact with either of them. He took notes sometimes, and checked his phone at other times. His expression never wavered from the usual stoicity.
> 
> Finally Dean and Benny had said all they wanted to say. Benny was apprehensive; he figured that Castiel’s silence couldn’t be a good thing. “Chief, I’m sorry if any of this is insulting. It’s just a theory and--”
> 
> “No. We need to look into this, and we need to do it fast.” Castiel’s voice was monotone, but both men could hear the urgency in the words.
> 
> Benny looked at Dean almost in shock. “Excuse me, sir?”
> 
> “I haven’t seen Lucifer in almost ten years. In the past couple of weeks he’s visited me twice. The first time was right after Gabriel’s attack. He said he was just in town and wanted to say hello. He conveniently asked about Gabriel, and I told him he was attacked and in the hospital. The second time was a couple of days ago, when he said he was leaving town and asked where Gabriel was. He said he wanted to say goodbye. He insisted on knowing his location even after I told him he was working undercover.” 
> 
> “Sonofabitch!” Dean snarled angrily, slamming a fist into the arm of his chair. 
> 
> “Dean!” Benny hissed, reaching over to lightly grasp the fist Dean had slammed. He held it for a long moment until he realized it was edging out of platonic and more into hand-holding. A light flush settled over his cheekbones as he sent a guilty glance to Cas.
> 
> Castiel looked into Benny’s eyes for the first time since the conversation had started. Ignoring the telling blush, he leaned back and spoke. “Lucifer is the first lead we’ve had since this case started. Find him.” 
> 
> Benny felt the same fright coming back to him as when Castiel ordered him to find the stalker the first time. “Of course, sir.”
> 
> Dismissing them with a careless wave, Cas turned back to his paperwork. Just as Benny and Dean were stepping outside of the office, Castiel’s voice rang in their ears once more. “And call Gabriel at the safehouse. He needs to know.”
> 
> Nodding at his boss, Benny pulled his cell from his pocket as they headed for his and Gabriel’s desks, already dialing his partner. His steps faltered when the line rang once before playing an automated message.  _ “I’m sorry, the number you’re trying to reach has been disconnected or is unavailable. Please try again later, or call your telephone provider.” _
> 
> Telling himself not to panic, Benny focused on tracking Lucifer’s whereabouts for the last few years, specifically during Sam’s attacks. Between himself and Dean, they compiled enough evidence to show that Lucifer was in the area for every attack. All the while, he tried calling the safehouse again and again.
> 
> After another failed attempt, Benny activated a tracker for Lucifer’s cellphone, trying to find his current whereabouts, while Dean called the safehouse on his own cell. 
> 
> “Benny, I got that same message,” Dean said quietly from Gabriel’s desk, worry evident in his voice. 
> 
> _ “Fuck!”  _ Benny suddenly cursed, bolting from his chair and running to Castiel’s office. Dean stared after him dazedly, hearing the two have a terse conversation for a few moments before Benny came tearing back. He threw his jacket on and checked his weapon before waving at Dean to follow him out the door.
> 
> “What the hell is going on?” Dean demanded as they exited the station and piled into the detective’s car. 
> 
> “Lucifer’s cell pinged a mile from the safehouse.” Benny said gravely, flipping on the siren and tearing from the parking lot.
> 
> _ “What?!” _ Dean cried. “What the hell are we doing?”
> 
> “We’re heading there, with back up and a SWAT team following close behind. With any luck, he’s not there yet.”
> 
> “Might wanna go a little faster then,” Dean warned, tugging on his seatbelt. 
> 
> “Why?”
> 
> “The Winchesters have never had very good luck.”
> 
> Sitting on the couch, hands tied behind his back and watching as Lucifer tied Gabriel’s hands as well, Sam’s thoughts were running in a similar vein to his brother’s. Desperate, half-formed plans flitted through his mind, but none held any water against the very real, very lethal shotgun still held in Lucifer’s grasp. 
> 
> All he could do was wait and pray. 
> 
> Pray that Dean had tried to call, pray that there was some sort of surveillance system in the cabin or the surrounding area, pray that Lucifer came to his senses. 
> 
> There was little hope for any of those to happen, but the last one was definitely not in the cards. Lucifer had finished tying Gabriel’s arms behind his back and was now walking him to the cold storage room in the kitchen as Gabriel struggled, to no avail. Sam heard Gabriel’s curses and the sounds of a struggle as Lucifer forced him into the cooler, then the snap of the lock as he trapped Gabriel inside.
> 
> Lucifer stalked back toward Sam with a terrifying expression on his face. He cocked his shotgun and playfully aimed it at Sam, faking a shot. “POW!” he barked, laughing when Sam flinched. He sobered a moment later, sighing in disappointment as he leaned against the doorway. “I just don’t understand it, Sam. You choose my own brother over me. I thought we had a connection!” 
> 
> Sam flinched once again at the anger in Lucifer’s voice but said nothing, trying not to provoke him further. Unfortunately, the silence was a provocation in itself.
> 
> Lucifer suddenly snarled, darting forward and into Sam’s immediate space. His grip on the shotgun shifted, holding just the stock of the weapon as the other hand came up to grip painfully at Sam’s hair. “I could have made you  _ happy _ , Sam. We could have made a life together.”
> 
> Sam let out a whimper at the pain from Lucifer’s grasp on his hair, but he still said nothing to the crazed man. 
> 
> “Leave him alone!” came Gabriel’s muffled scream from inside the cold room. He banged against the door with his shoulders, trying to break through. The thought of Sam being alone with his monster of a brother was torture enough, and maybe Lucifer knew just how badly to hurt his half-brother.
> 
> A disgusted expression formed on Lucifer’s face when he heard his half-brother’s voice. His hand still in Sam’s hair, he twisted it harder as he leaned in closer to his victim’s face, breathing in his scent to calm himself down. “He’s just like our dad, you know,” he confided. “Total flake, will never be there for you. Not like me. I can give you a family, a home. I COULD HAVE BEEN YOUR EVERYTHING!”
> 
> Sam shook his head as tears pricked his eyes - a pain response to the ever-tightening grasp on his hair and the absolute terror shaking his insides.  _ “I swear, I will cut my hair like Dean’s if I ever get out of here.” _
> 
> The ill attempt at humor seemed to give Sam a shot of adrenaline. “I would never have been happy with you,” he snarled, his eyes glaring into Lucifer’s eyes and seeming to pierce his dark soul. 
> 
> Lucifer narrowed his eyes at Sam, turning to face him fully once more. “What did you say?” he asked, deceptively calm.
> 
> “I would never have been happy. You’re too controlling!” Somehow, thinking of Dean (even humorously) filled him with the cocky, devil-may-care attitude which his brother seemed to flaunt around. 
> 
> Rage came over Lucifer, scaring the wits out of Sam, but he persisted despite the fear. He deduced one of two outcomes of his rising up against Lucifer: either the police department had already figured out that the phone lines are dead and they were on their way and he should stall Lucifer for as long as he could, or he could stall him long enough for Gabriel to find a way to escape and hopefully save them both. He knew that his insolence meant that Lucifer might get violent, even to the point of taking his life, but if that meant that it could give Gabriel even one fifth of a chance to escape, then he was fine with those odds. 
> 
> Sam steadied himself, knowing that his next words wouldn't go down so easily. He looked Lucifer straight in the eyes as he spoke. “You were a freak back then, so clingy right off the bat. I knew as soon as that first date was over that I could never be with y-” Sam was cut off by the barrel of the shotgun crashing into his jaw. His ears started ringing and he could barely make out any sounds around him. 
> 
> Lucifer gripped Sam’s hair once more, keeping a tight hold on the back of his neck in the process while he forced Sam further into the couch and pinned him in his place with a dark stare. Lucifer’s icy blue eyes stared into Sam’s, peering into his soul and sending a cold chill down his spine. Sam couldn’t look away, and he swore that there was nothing behind Lucifer’s eyes; not even the blackest of souls. 
> 
> A sneaky smile tugged at the corners of Lucifer’s lips, making him look even creepier. He got closer to Sam’s face, breathing heavily on his cheeks before he licked at the trail of blood that had slowly dripped from Sam’s split lip. Sam shuddered in disgust, shaking his head and trying to break away from Lucifer, but the tight hold on his neck kept him tightly in place.
> 
> “You still don’t understand, Sammy,” Lucifer whispered against Sam’s lips, “that you’re mine to do with as I please. If you’re hoping for my flake of a brother to save the day, you’re gonna be waiting for a while. Gabey’s probably dead by now, or on his way. You’re. All. Mine.”
> 
> Sam froze in fear. He had no snarky remarks or sarcastic comments to spit at his attacker. Lucifer’s words planted the seed of worry in his head. Gabriel had not made a sound in minutes, and Sam was terrified that either the cold got to him or that his lover just given up.
> 
> Lucifer realized how terrified Sam was and it seemed to excite him more. He released his grip on Sam’s hair before he bellowed a laugh, climbed atop Sam’s lap, and threw his shotgun a few cushions away. “We’re gonna have so much fun!”
> 
> Sam did not react, sinking into a self-preservation mode of detachment from the situation.
> 
> Lucifer combed his fingers through Sam’s hair, pulling at it when Sam resisted. He kissed his lips again, trying to draw a reaction from the younger man. When Sam locked his lips shut, Lucifer wrapped his fingers around his neck, choking Sam until he had to gasp for air. Lucifer took the opportunity as it came and jammed their lips together once more, forcing his tongue into Sam’s mouth.
> 
> When Lucifer pulled away from the kiss, Sam spat in his face and earned himself a slap that landed on his left ear, which brought back the ringing from earlier. Unfortunately, Sam could barely fight back with his hands tied around his back and his legs tied at the ankles, so he sat there, taking the abuse as it came and hoping that somehow Dean was on his way.
> 
> “You know what?” Lucifer asked, knowing very well that Sam wouldn’t answer but enjoying the situation. “I think I should have done this years ago! You’re way too bossy when you’re not tied up.”
> 
> Lucifer moved away from Sam and got on his feet. “And I think it’s time for the real fun, because I think after all these years of taking care of you, I deserve it.” He unbuckled his belt and threw it in Sam’s direction, thankfully missing Sam completely.
> 
> Sam was still frozen, as if he’s in a world of his own. All he could think was  _ “I hope Gabriel is safe, and I hope he can’t hear any of this shit.” _
> 
> Lucifer unbuckled his jeans and slid them down to his ankles, then started rubbing his cock while leering at Sam. Already half-hard from the thrill he’d gotten so far, it didn’t take much to coax himself to a full erection. He smiled evilly at Sam and stepped forward, his voice coming huskily and grating as he said, “I’m gonna enjoy watching you suck my cock.”
> 
> Sam bit his tongue until it bled, forcing his face into a stoic expression as he glared at his abuser. No matter what Lucifer did to him, Sam would  _ not _ give in like Lucifer wanted.
> 
> Suddenly, just as Lucifer grasped Sam’s hair to drag his head closer, a bang echoed throughout the cabin, followed by pounding boots and shouts. 
> 
> Sam jumped, his eyes widening in shock and burgeoning hope, but there was nothing he could do except watch dazedly as a full SWAT team swarmed the small living room, attacking Lucifer and pinning him to the ground before placing him in cuffs - and not especially gently, either. Benny and Dean hurried in behind the SWAT team, worriedly taking in the scene. 
> 
> Dean headed straight for Sam, pulling out a pocket knife to cut Sam’s bonds. Once free, Sam wrapped his arms around Dean and pulled him close. “Thank you,” he whispered, emotion choking him. 
> 
> “I’m so glad we got here in time,” Dean said with just as much emotion.
> 
> Benny could barely wait for the brothers to have their moment before he peeled Sam away from Dean and drew him in for a tight bear hug. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
> 
> Sam hugged the officer back as he started to feel the shock dissipating.
> 
> “Where’s Gabriel?” Benny asked with a half smile, looking around expectantly.
> 
> In his shock and relief, Sam had almost forgotten about Gabriel. His face fell in realization. He didn’t give an answer, instead turning to run frantically towards the cold storage room. He tried to pry the lock open with his hands, which of course did not work. The entire SWAT team was standing around him, trying to calm him down and pull him away so they could open the door themselves, but Sam was big and stubborn.
> 
> “Gabriel! Gabe!” he screamed as he pounded on the door.
> 
> Benny was sure then that Gabriel was dead. He was convinced that Lucifer had killed him and stuffed him in that storage room. It was the only thing that could explain Sam’s behaviour, in his mind. Tears welled up in his eyes and he couldn’t face finding his partner’s body dumped in a storage room. Not like that, not Gabriel. 
> 
> Dean was the only one who kept it together. He saw his brother’s panic, he saw Benny’s pain, and he couldn’t allow it. He decided that Gabriel was not dead, he just wasn’t. He took Benny’s gun, none-too-gently shoved Sam out of the way, and used the butt of the pistol to crack open the lock on the door. 
> 
> The door swung open and Gabriel fell down at their feet. He was unconscious, his skin blue with the cold, and his breathing was shallow, but he was very much alive. Sam fell to his knees next to him, tears streaming down his cheeks as he kissed all over Gabriel’s cold face.
> 
> Benny let out the breath he was holding and he hugged Dean tightly before kissing him passionately on the lips. “Thank you!” he whispered against Dean’s lips as he pulled away slightly.
> 
> Dean’s cheeks were as red as apples at the shock and the swoon-factor. Thankfully, nobody really noticed, since the others in the room were busy taking care of Gabriel and taking Sam’s testimony.
> 
> “No, no. Thank  _ you _ ,” Dean said with a cocky smile on his face.
> 
> In the middle of Sam’s statement, Gabriel groaned and began to come to. Sam shoved past the officer he was speaking to and all but threw himself to the ground beside Gabriel, crying out his lover’s name. 
> 
> Gabriel came awake to the feeling of Sam’s strong arms wrapped around him, his warm body a very welcome change to the chill of the cooler he’d been trapped in. Before long, however, he had to protest the hug. “Sam, can’t breathe,” he said with a slight wheeze.
> 
> Sam pulled away from the embrace, a flush staining his cheeks. He didn’t argue, though, and pulled away enough to allow Gabriel room to breathe. As their eyes met and caught, the emotions within Sam seemed to boil over, finally at a breaking point. Kneeling next to Gabriel, Sam’s hands clenched atop his thighs as tears poured down his face and sobs wracked his body.
> 
> When he had finally reigned in his emotions enough to speak, he did so low enough so that Gabriel was the only one to hear him. “I’m so sorry,” Sam whispered brokenly. “I didn’t want you to get hurt because of me.”
> 
> “Shut the fuck up, Sam. He’s my brother, so I should actually be saying that to you.” Gabriel’s words were strong, but his voice was still hoarse from his earlier outcries, and wavering because of the chills still wracking his body sporadically.
> 
> Sam shook his head, unable to respond as tears began to stream down his face once more.
> 
> Gabriel leaned back and stared up at Sam for a long moment, then said softly, “Stop worrying over it and kiss me.”
> 
> Sam smiled weakly before leaning forward to do just that.
> 
> In theory, the case against Lucifer was air-tight. However, it wasn’t easy for either Sam or Gabriel to relive those past few months over and over again. The prep time for court was extremely trying. Their lawyer made sure to prepare them for every line of questioning Lucifer’s lawyer might throw at them, including questions about their relationship.
> 
> Lucifer had hired one of the best criminal defense lawyers in the country, a very despicable woman named Abaddon who had gone to Stanford with both Sam and Lucifer and had always seemed to do Lucifer’s bidding. Apparently, this time was no different, since she took the case  pro-bono.
> 
> After the events in the cabin, both Gabriel and Sam suffered from post traumatic stress disorder. They barely slept, specific noises and smells would send them into full blown panic attacks, and both were extremely jumpy, even around each other. 
> 
> Gabriel had nightmares every night of being stuck in that cooler again, while Sam dreamt of being raped by Lucifer. They would wake up in cold sweat, screaming their lungs out and fighting an attacker that wasn’t there. Luckily, they had Benny and Dean to look after them, as well as each other.
> 
> Eventually, both men were convinced of the need to go to therapy and support groups, and each started getting better in their own way and at their own pace. It was going to be a long and tough road, but they had a great support system.
> 
> The trial wasn’t as open and shut as Sam and Gabriel would have hoped it would be. Lucifer’s lawyer did her best to try and keep her client out of jail, or at least get him a reduced sentence.
> 
> What should have taken just a few weeks went on for three months and grabbed the attention of the media, considering that the defendant was the DA himself. The scrutiny was unbearable, and Sam and Gabriel’s strifes were broadcast to the entire country. 
> 
> Morning shows did what they do best and aired specials on their ‘tragic love story’. They called them the star-crossed lovers and hassled them for interviews. Both men refused. Tabloid magazines wrote about them and gave them the name “Sabriel,” and soon the hashtag “JusticeForSabriel” was trending in the United States for weeks. More than once, Sam had said to his therapist that the media attention came as a close second to the terror that Lucifer had put him through.
> 
> The courtroom wasn’t any easier on the two lovers. Abaddon went into the intimate details of Sam and Gabriel’s relationship, as well as Dean and Benny’s. She brought up Gabriel’s past, especially his time in juvie and his incident with Kali. She tried to drag down the Chief of Police, weaving an elaborate story of  this case being a conspiracy led by Castiel and Gabriel against their poor, unknowing eldest half-brother. She tugged at every string and played every angle she could think of, even claiming that Sam was using his position as the DA to get rid of an old boyfriend and that he was pressuring a corrupt Chief of Police to send his own half-brother away.
> 
> Ultimately, the overwhelming evidence started to pile up against Lucifer. It started with Lucifer’s credit card statements, which placed him in Sam’s vicinity every time Sam was attacked or had a break-in. Kevin, Sam’s college roommate, agreed to testify about the brief and tumultuous relationship between Sam and Lucifer in college, and his testimony regarding Lucifer’s creepy behaviour towards Sam back in college was another nail in Lucifer’s coffin. 
> 
> What no one was expecting was the surprising testimony from Brady, a former colleague of Sam’s, (one who considered him a rival at the firm they worked at) who confessed to feeding Lucifer information on Sam’s whereabouts in exchange for money transfers. Every attack and occurrence was accounted for and summarily added to Lucifer’s list of offenses. The last nail in the coffin was the body camera footage of the SWAT team, which confirmed the sexual assault that Abaddon had argued as consensual and circumstantial. 
> 
> Abbadon tried to get that last charge dropped by claiming that the footage was inadmissible in the court. She claimed that Dean could have tampered with those cameras, since he had escorted the SWAT team into the cabin, which was not regular procedure and was obvious special treatment on the part of Officer Lafitte. When officers of the SWAT team testified to the absolute lack of involvement from both Dean Winchester and Officer Lafitte in the arrest of Lucifer Milton, the case was then summarily shut.
> 
> The jury found Lucifer guilty of every offense he was on trial for.
> 
> By the time sentencing came around, Lucifer was charged with eight counts of criminal stalking, five counts of breaking and entering, two counts of assault, one count of sexual assault, and, finally, a parking violation. 
> 
> Gabriel had tacked the last one on just for the hell of it, after they’d found Lucifer’s car abandoned on the side of the road near the cabin. 
> 
> He was sentenced to twenty five years in prison, with no immediate eligibility for parole. 
> 
> Leaving the courthouse, Sam was overwhelmed. 
> 
> It was  _ over. _
> 
> Gabriel gripped his hand tightly, squeezing to bring him back to the present. “Look at those saps.” He nodded in Benny and Dean’s direction.
> 
> The couple were standing at a distance, speaking and holding hands. Dean had just whispered something in Benny’s ear and the latter belly laughed and kissed him softly on the lips.
> 
> Sam smiled softly. “How do you feel about Dean being your best-friend-in-law?”
> 
> Gabriel’s eyes widened in shock. “You’ve gotta be kidding me!”
> 
> “Nope. He bought the ring like three weeks ago. But he promised me that he wouldn’t propose until Lucifer was behind bars.”
> 
> Gabriel shook his head in disbelief. “Well, those idiots deserve each other.”
> 
> Sam laughed and kissed Gabriel, before tucking the strand of hair that fell over his face. “I love you, Gabriel Novak.” 
> 
> After everything the two had gone through together, that was the first time either of them had uttered those three words.
> 
> Gabriel didn’t reply. He looked up at his boyfriend with eyes full of love before he grinned devilishly. He took Sam by the hand and started running, dragging Sam behind him until he found a tall curb and came to a full halt.
> 
> “Gabe, what are you doing?” Sam said breathlessly. He wasn’t as amused as Gabriel was, probably because he had just confessed his love to his boyfriend and Gabriel’s reaction was to run, literally.
> 
> Gabriel stood up on the curb so he was at eye level with Sam. 
> 
> “Sam Winchester, you’re the most incredible man I have ever met. You’re the funniest, sweetest, and probably the smartest man in the world. You’re definitely the tallest,” he chuckled through the tears that pricked his eyes before he continued. “What we’ve been through since the day we met is more than what most couples go through in a lifetime, and for that we’re both thoroughly fucked up in the head.” Both men laughed, and the laughter that came from behind them alerted them to Dean and Benny’s presence. 
> 
> Gabriel reached into his front pocket. “Don’t freak out, I’m not proposing. Yet.” He took out a key and presented it to Sam in the palm of his hand. “But for now, do you wanna put your mess on top of mine and move in with me?”
> 
> By the time Gabriel had  finished his speech Sam was in tears. Everything that had happened to him in his life - the good and the bad - had led him to this man and to this moment. He was thinking of the darkest times of his life, of the days when he couldn’t even bother to get out of bed. He was remembering the dark thoughts of loneliness and misery, of his perception that he was destined to be miserable and alone for the rest of his life. He mused on all of that and it made him cry because it all seemed like a distant past. 
> 
> His stalker was gone, forever. He was in therapy and dealing with the aftermath of Lucifer, as well as other things from his past. He had an amazing boyfriend who apparently loved him back, and he had a family. He finally had a real family that loved him, cared about him and took care of him. It wasn’t just him and Dean anymore. It was Benny, Gabriel, Dean and even Castiel. One big, happy family. So he cried because, finally, the universe was giving him what he was owed and what he worked his ass off for.
> 
> “Samsquach? That’s a pretty crappy cliffhanger to leave me on,” Gabriel prompted. His heart was pounding. He wasn’t sure what was going on in Sam’s head, and the tears were starting to worry him. “You wanna wake up next to this mug everyday or not?” he jokingly asked again.
> 
> “Yes! Of course I do! There’s nothing in the world I could ever want more than this, Gabriel,” Sam finally replied. He snatched the key from Gabriel before he hugged him tight and lifted him off the curb.
> 
> Benny and Dean’s voices grew louder with  _ woohoos  _ as the other couple kissed and hugged.
> 
> The four men talked amongst each other for a few minutes before deciding where to go out for lunch. The conversation died down as they walked down the street headed towards the close restaurant they settled on. Sam and Gabriel walked hand in hand.
> 
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> 
> “Sammich?”
> 
> “What, babe?” 
> 
> “I’m gonna need that key back.”
> 
> Sam stopped in his track, pulling Gabriel back. “Excuse me?”
> 
> Dean and Benny stayed close.
> 
> “Well, just until I make you a copy. That proposal was pretty much impromptu.”
> 
> Sam shook his head, rolled his eyes and all four men burst out in laughter as they continued their trek towards the restaurant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, Meg and I really appreciate it.
> 
> Let us know what you thought of our fic ;)


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